Magic Happens
by Archer Angel
Summary: The Halliwell sisters living in desert town of Tari, California. Four sisters, four hearts, four wishes that love will conquer all. This is my first fanfic, i would love it if you'd read my story :P Chptr 40,41,42 added :D Lemme know what you think :D
1. So, do you need a lawyer?

~Recurring themes and Magic Happens~ 29/11/03 [This does contain some actual Charmed quotes]  
  
[Based on the Charmed series]  
  
By Leanne Martyn.  
  
Characters inner thoughts are in ** eg. *Leo..lion? I bet you are*  
  
Setting: Small Desert town of Tari, California.   
  
In this story, THE POWER OF THREE needs the FOUR SISTERS to do the spell. The triquetra represents  
  
the three sisters, and the circle connecting the trio shows the fourth sister empowering them.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter One - "So, do you need a lawyer?"  
  
Prue, "Phoebe, could you get that?." Prue was busy hanging the clothes on the line in the back-  
  
yard. They lived in a deserty area but the flowers that Piper had planted were in full bloom and  
  
smelling great. The phone was ringing. The town they lived in was small, everyone pretty much   
  
knew each other's voices. Phoebe answered the phone.  
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Hello." A deep strong voice answered back.   
  
"I don't believe that i recognise your voice Mr....?" Phoebe replied.  
  
"Turner, Cole Turner." Phoebe smiled, she like the name Cole, she also liked the sound of his  
  
voice.   
  
"So, how did you get this number Mr. Turner?"   
  
"I'm actually calling to tell you that if you and your sisters needed a lawyer, and i can be of  
  
service - if needed."  
  
"Oh.."  
  
"Oh?, you sound disappointed Phoebe" Cole said.  
  
"Disappointed? I'm not...how did you know i was Phoebe?"  
  
"Well, i was told about you and your sisters, mm i dunno, something about your voice tells me  
  
that you're Phoebe."   
  
"Well then, you have very good perception Mr. Turner"  
  
"Yea, i've been told that before" Cole laughed. "And you can call me Cole"  
  
"Really? I mean, yeah, ok if you want" Phoebe said nervously - in a good way.  
  
"Yes, i do want....uh, that was coming out wrong eheh"   
  
"No, it's fine" Phoebe smiled.  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"So, do you need a lawyer?" Cole blurted out.  
  
"No, well not at the moment. But i'm sure we'll need one sooner or later considering what the   
  
townspeople think of us"  
  
"Hmm, i've heard some...how can i say this - freaky rumors about you and your sisters."  
  
"And yet you still want to call me...i mean us" Phoebe trying desperately not to sound ditsy.  
  
"Lets just say i like an element of mystery"  
  
"Phoebe!" Prue shouted from the backyard. "I need help!"  
  
"Hello? Phoebe, are you there?" Cole asked.  
  
"Yeah, umm...how bout i be mysterious and talk to you later. I'll see you around, bye" Phoebe   
  
hung up the phone abrubtly and ran outside.  
  
Cole felt a little confused at why she had to leave so fast, but he didn't mind. 


	2. Damn, i really need to work on my landin

Chapter Two - "Damn, i really need to work on my landings"  
  
(In the backyard)  
  
Phoebe yells "Prue?, Prue where are you?"  
  
"I'm over here!" Prue's voice came from behind the big shed that kept all their klutter.  
  
Phoebe ran over, only to see Prue...two of Prue to be exact. She had astral projected again, and  
  
she was getting pretty good at it.   
  
Prue was fighting off this demon who looked human that tried to hurt them...and for some reason   
  
the demon looked strangely familiar to Phoebe.  
  
"Phoebe, c'mon, help me" Prue called, dodging a punch.  
  
The demon was now on the roof. Phoebe levitated up there.   
  
"Wait, i know you from somewhere" Phoebe exclaimed, whilst kicking him in the jewels.  
  
"Phoebe" The demon said in pain. "Phoebe it's me..."  
  
"Kaleb?, oh my goddess, what happened to you?"  
  
"Enough with the small talk and bring him down here so i can kick his ass twice" Prue grunted.  
  
"Phoebe please, let me explain" The demon begged.  
  
"I don't know if i want to do that, my sisters have had enough trouble already" Phoebe told him.  
  
Prue finally cracked and flung him off of the roof and onto the ground. "I don't know why i   
  
didn't do that earlier."   
  
"Prue!" Phoebe jumped off the the shed and landed awkwardly. "Damn, i really need to work on my  
  
landings"  
  
"What do you want then?" Astral Prue demanded.  
  
"I want to ask you something" Kaleb said.  
  
"Well, we haven't got all day demon, hurry up and talk before i vanquish you"  
  
"My name is Kaleb, not 'demon'" Kaleb said with a hint of cockiness.  
  
"Dammit, Kaleb, i tellin you, you better talk or my sister WILL vanquish you" Phoebe warned.  
  
"With what?, you have no potions on you"  
  
"Want to make a bet?" Prue said triumphly, she always carries a potion around just in case. Her  
  
sisters weren't always around to help her out. Prue took the potion out and pretended to throw it.  
  
"Okay, okay! Please don't. I need your help with something"  
  
"Our help? why should we help you?" said Phoebe.  
  
"Because you're my friend"  
  
"No, i used to be your friend in kindergarten Kaleb, and in primary school. Then in high school   
  
you left and never told me you that you were going to leave." Phoebe shook her head in disgust.  
  
"Some friend you were."  
  
"No, Phoebe i didn't have a choice. This demon was after me and he still is now. That's what i   
  
need your help with."  
  
"Phoebe didn't know you were a demon. You betrayed your friendship. Now it's time for you to pay"  
  
Prue threw the potion on him and he started flaming.   
  
"No!!!!! This demon is dangerous, he'll come after you. He turned me into a demon Phoebe, you  
  
gotta know that!" ...those were his last words, and then he vanished.  
  
Prue looked over at her sister, "Pheebs, you okay?"  
  
"Yeah i guess...but do you think he was telling the truth?"  
  
"I don't know" Phoebe looked down to the ground. "I do know that you two seemed like good friends  
  
when you were younger, so just dwell on what you had before this. I'm here for you."  
  
"Thanks, but i think i need to dwell on something else" she told Prue.  
  
"Ok, well i need help bringing in the last of the clothes off the line so..."  
  
"Yay, house work" Phoebe said with a slight smile. Prue laughed and they walked back together. 


	3. Once is enough for me

Chapter Three - *Once is enough for me*  
  
"Hey guys, hey how did you get Phoebe do chores Prue?" Paige, the youngest sister asked with   
  
amazement.  
  
"Well, we had a run in with a demon"   
  
"Really? We always run into demons, how come you don't bring the clothes in everytime Pheebs?"   
  
Paige asked cheekily.  
  
"We vanquished my friend..."  
  
"EX-friend actually" Prue cut in.  
  
"Ohh, well in that case, do you want do something else? like go see a movie at the ampitheatre?"  
  
"I dunno" Phoebe said glumly.  
  
"Kill it before it dies perhaps?" Paige suggested.  
  
"Oh! oh! Yes! Anything to get out of bringin in the clothes!" Phoebe said beaming.  
  
"Hey!" Prue yelled.  
  
"Oh, come on Prue, i really want to see this!"  
  
"For the fifth million time you do" Prue added.  
  
"PLease, please, please" Pheebs begged.  
  
"Yeah, come with Prue, forget about the clothes, we'll get them later" Paige invited  
  
"Nah, i've seen that B-grade movie" *Once is enough for me* Prue thought. "You two have fun" she  
  
said as she went back to gathering the big pile of clothes.  
  
"Yay!" Phoebe yelled at the top of her lungs. She grabbed Paige by the hand and pulled Paige  
  
along as fast as she could.  
  
Prue was always intrigued how Phoebe could get so excited about an old movie. Prue was more into  
  
old artefacts than movies.  
  
Prue had gotten all the clothes in a giant basket and tried to lift it inside. T-shirts kept  
  
falling out of the basket. No one was around...she used her telekineses to hover the t-shirts  
  
inside. *What no-body don't know can't hurt 'em* she thought to herself.   
  
She now realised that she had nothing to do. The house was sparkling clean because her other   
  
sister Piper went on a cleaning mission that morning before heading out.   
  
Prue decided to go for a walk. She wanted to head into town to stock up no some herbs..and maybe  
  
even run into her favourite sister Piper. Prue brushed her hair quickly, grabbed her purse and  
  
headed down the street. 


	4. Prue, you always get involved, you're th...

Chapter Four - "Prue, you always get involved, you're the big sister"   
  
Prue made it into town about 20 mins later. She was always a little nervous about heading into   
  
town. Her confident exterior hid that nervousness though. *come on Prue, stupid little rumors   
  
don't seem to affect your sisters, so why do you feel it?* she wondered. "Because you're the  
  
oldest and most responsible" she said quietly to herself.  
  
Prue headed to the local herb store, except unlike everybody else in the town, she wasn't there  
  
to buy the herbs for cooking - she needed it for potions.   
  
"A cup of mandrake root and a small box of wormwood" she asked the lady behind the counter. Being  
  
there reminded Prue of a time that Phoebe told Paige's boss' son that powdered toadstool was an  
  
aprodisiac. Prue was suddenly snapped out her thoughts when she overheard some whipering. She   
  
knew that the whispering was about her and her sisters...it always was. Going back a few years,   
  
the Halliwell sisters had come into their powers, and they almost got caught vanquishing this   
  
petty warlock. A man saw the smoke rising and spread all kinds of stuff about them to the   
  
townspeople. Him being an athiest thought they were evil beings and had ruined their reputations  
  
till this day.  
  
"Do you have a problem?" Prue said firmly to Ginia - the biggest snob there ever was. Ginia just  
  
lifted her nose and walked out of the store. She didn't like to be talked to like that and sure   
  
enough all of her friends would know about it by days end. Prue turned around, payed for the  
  
herbs and left the store.   
  
Prue was so tempted to follow Ginia around all day and trick her into thinking she was mad by aid  
  
of magic but she knew that her powers weren't made for personal gain. *Although getting rid of  
  
Ginia would do the whole town some good* Prue grinned at the wonderful thought.  
  
"Outch! Hey! Watch where your going...Prue?"  
  
"Piper" Prue was happy to see her sister but not amused at how they ran into each other.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you" Piper replied sarcastically. Prue could not be but amused by her sister's  
  
constant sarcasm, she would feel weird not hearing it.  
  
"What are you doing with all that stuff?" Prue asked as she bent down to pick up all the objects.  
  
"There was a sale" Piper answered wryly as she tried to juggle all the packages in her arms.  
  
"I SO have to cancel your credit" Prue said with the big sister tone.  
  
"Huh? What, i can't have a life?"  
  
"No, you can't have a credit card...which is your life!"   
  
Piper laughed briefly and couldn't tell if her sister was being serious or not.   
  
"Anyways, i gotta get home and put this stuff away" Piper said.  
  
"Yeah, where? Your room is already full"  
  
"So, i'll put some stuff in the shed then Prue"  
  
"Nah-uh, the shed is for all our wiccan stuff, not to mention the book."  
  
"So? What, you think i'm gonna be lookin in the BOS for a spell and get distracted by these   
  
paintings?....although you gotta admit these ae pretty damn cool" Piper smiled proudly at her   
  
find. Prue was yet again amazed at her sister's fun and cool, yet stubborn ways.  
  
"Okay, well you have to move all the stuff yourself. I'm not getting involved"  
  
"Prue, you always get involved, you're the big sister" Piper flashed her 'gotcha' smile.  
  
"Okay so maybe you're right...in that case, you can have these back for now" Prue piled all of   
  
the extra packages Piper managed to buy in Piper's already full arms.  
  
Piper glared at her sister and then began to walk off without walking into any poles. Prue knew  
  
she had one that round and continued to browse the shops...hopefully she would be able to walk  
  
into Ginia 'accidentally' and send her flying. 


	5. Flying doctor, at your service

Chapter Five - "Flying doctor, at your service"  
  
Piper was about half way home. *God, why the hell didn't i grab a trolley or a, a wheelbarrow at  
  
least?!* Piper was getting tired. Suddenly she heard a loud noise. It sounded like a plane   
  
circling above. She watched as the small plane landed in a field about 300m from where she was  
  
standing. For some reason she was drawn to it...or maybe it was just the fact that it would be  
  
so much easier to fly than walk home.  
  
Piper started walking again, when she came across a man who was bleeding badly from the arm.  
  
"Oh my goddess, are you okay?" she asked the scruffy looking man, dropping all of her things.  
  
"Well what do you think? I'm bleeding badly and can barely walk...i must..." the man looked  
  
up and saw Piper's beautiful face "be okay" The anger and pain suddenly left him. He started to  
  
fall. From out of nowhere appeared these strong arms which caught the scruffy man.  
  
"I..I didn't hear you run over here" Piper said trying to catch her breath as she gazed at the   
  
gorgeous man.   
  
"No? Well you must've been too shocked by all this blood" said the man.  
  
"Uh, who are you exactly?" Piper blurted out.  
  
The man looked up and flashed a million dollar smile. "The flying doctor, at your service"  
  
"Arghh" the man on the floor yelled in pain.   
  
"It's ok, i know this hurts but you're going to be fine." The doctor said reassuringly as he  
  
tightened the bandages to stop the bleeding.   
  
"Uh..maam, could you help me bring this man...your boyfriend? to the plane" the doctor asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure! and this man is not my boyfriend. I don't even know him"  
  
"OK, one, two, three." Piper and the doctor had the man's arms over their shoulders and brought  
  
him to the plane.   
  
"Miss..."  
  
"Piper, Piper Halliwell" Piper smiled  
  
"Ms. Halliwell, do you know of the nearest place i can work on?...what is your name?"  
  
"Danny"  
  
"Danny" the doctor repeated.  
  
"Umm, yeah, you can bring him to my place. I don't think anyone is home." Piper said after no   
  
thought what-so-ever.  
  
"Okay..are you sure?" F.D said.  
  
"Yeah, it's fine." Piper was quick to answer.  
  
"Okay, Danny i need you to hop in the back. Ms. Halliwell could you hop in the front please?"  
  
"Eh..ok. What about my stuff?" She had almost forgtten about her things. She knew she wouldn't   
  
gorget him, that's for sure.  
  
"All of that is yours?" The doctor asked cheekily.  
  
"Yes. Eheh. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep."  
  
"Ok, Danny, you just sit tight while i go grab Ms. Halliwell's things"  
  
"Why does she get the front? Shouldn't she be sitting in back with me to help me with my wound?"  
  
"Well, i was going to give you all the room you wanted but if you need more assistance she can"  
  
Piper looked dissapointed, she wanted to sit with the doctor. *Woah, Piper, listen to yourself  
  
you'd pick a gorgeous man over helping a wounded man. Your not acting like you normally would*  
  
The doctor ran over and grabbed all of Piper's things with ease. He laughed at how much she had   
  
managed to carry.   
  
"So, Miss Halliwell, where you headed?" scruffy asked.  
  
"Back home, that's where we are going remember?" Piper said with concern, he couldn't remember  
  
that they already told him where they were going.  
  
"Oh, your place? Cool, i bets it's nice"   
  
"Thankyou." Piper smiled a brilliant smile, not because of what Danny had said, but because the  
  
doctor was walking back and the sun was bathed all over his body.  
  
"You live alone way out here?"  
  
"No, i live with my sisters - three sisters"   
  
"Wow, you must be close then. I used to be real close with my sister."  
  
"Used to?" Piper wasn't sure if she should be bringing up his memories while he was like this.  
  
"Yeah, her and i were best friends...then she got married to this doctor and left town. I  
  
have been here alone ever since. My other 5 siblings have moved outta town too and they're all  
  
younger than me."  
  
"Wow, i would be lost without my sisters" Piper said sympathetically.  
  
"I'm back, with all of your stuff Ms." Doctor said with accomplishment.  
  
He hopped in the front, started the plane up and they took off. Danny looked in pain but he   
  
enjoyed the view. Piper was excited for two reasons, 1. she had never flown before and 2. she   
  
was in a plane with a scruffy but nice guy in the back and a gorgeous guy in the front. 


	6. Let me ask you something, why is there a...

Chapter 6 - "Let me ask you something, why is there an aeroplane parked in our front yard?"  
  
The plane had landed, right in front of the house.  
  
"Nice landing" Piper complimented.  
  
"Thankyou." The F.D acknowledged back. "Are you okay Danny?"  
  
"Yeah i'm alright, thanks."  
  
Piper and the doctor were helping Danny out of the plane. Piper directed the Doc as to where he  
  
could work on Danny's wound. They had taken him to the spare room which was not connected to the   
  
house.  
  
"Hey, you have a stainless steel bench here. Did you install this? coz it's perfect"  
  
"No, um my grams had it built incase we had to operate on the animals" Piper laughed histerically  
  
"What's so wrong with that? What's so funny?" the doctor questioned.  
  
"Nothing..it's just we don't have any animals. We have Kit, our cat, but she's been missing for  
  
quite a while now."  
  
"No animals?" Danny found the bench thing amusing.  
  
"That's Grams for ya. She always planned ahead even if we didn't need it. She was always for our   
  
safety and well being" Piper remembered.  
  
"Well, lucky she did. Now i can fix Danny's arm up and it won't leave a mess in your house."  
  
Piper watched as the Doctor tried to stitch up the arm. Piper couldn't keep her eyes off of him.  
  
"Ms. Halliwell?"   
  
"Yes Doctor?" Piper felt a little cheesy the way she had said that.  
  
"I think it would be best if you left the room while i stitch Danny up, i don't want you to feel  
  
sick over the blood." the doctor perscribed.  
  
"Uh sure." Piper left the room. As Piper walked she thought *I've killed more Demons that have  
  
bled all over the house than you could imagine Dr...Dr.What?. Oh my, i forgot to ask his name. Oh  
  
well, i'll find out later.* Piper sat down in her favourite chair where she could look out the   
  
window and watch her pretty flowers grow in the sun.   
  
"Oww!" Piper heard Danny yell from the other room.   
  
"Ech, i need to think of something else." Piper started to feel sick. What a gentleman that doctor  
  
was, asking Piper to leave. *Oh if only all men were that considerate...then again he is a doctor  
  
but he's MY doctor* Piper seemed startled, she was falling for the doctor hard and fast. She  
  
didn't want to fight it but at the same time she was scared. A previous boyfriend who seemed a   
  
great find turned out to be a demon. She was hurt really bad by that experiance, luckily she had  
  
her sisters to help her through it. "What would i do without them" she wondered.  
  
"Without who?" Piper jumped outta her chair as she heard the doctor.  
  
"Damn, you scared me. Without my sisters...What was your name doctor?"  
  
"Leo, Leo Wyatt." then Leo smiled. Piper melted. *Leo..lion? I bet you are* Piper's thoughts went   
  
all over the place.  
  
"Piper, where'd you go?" Leo knew she was dreaming, but over what?  
  
"Huh? Yeah, i'm here...where's danny?" Piper wasn't sure what to say.  
  
"Danny." Leo was disappointed, he was hoping Piper's thoughts were on him, not Danny. "He's  
  
asleep on the long couch in the other room. I gave him something to ease the pain and help him  
  
relax. Only a little bit though, he'll be up soon."  
  
"Why didn't you give him more?" *Oh my god, did i just ask that?!* Piper was embarrased.  
  
"Ha! he didn't want a lot, and the patients needs come first. I do believe you're blushing Miss  
  
Halliwell." Leo felt better, a lot better now that he knew she liked him and not the scruff.  
  
"Eh yeah" Piper knew he was playing with her now.  
  
"So, it's not often i come across such stunning women such as yourself in remote towns like this."  
  
Leo flirted.  
  
Piper was now bright red. "And it's not often i run into gorgeous men like you" Piper teased back.  
  
They both jumped as they heard a groan come from Danny's direction. Piper felt herself come back  
  
down to Earth.  
  
"Um, do you know how he got that nasty gash in his arm?" Piper asked curiously.  
  
"He says that there was this man after him. The man seemed to be faster than a normal human. Says  
  
the man was carrying a real sharp sword and almost cut his arm off...I don't know if Danny was   
  
telling the truth or if it was just the pain killer changing his perception."  
  
Piper and Leo laughed at each other. "I think it might have been" Piper giggled.  
  
Danny had entered the room. It was now an hour later. The time seemed to go by real fast for the  
  
Halliwell. Danny saw how the two looked at each other. Danny longed for Piper.  
  
"No!! Hey, she's my girl!"  
  
"That's a bit of an assumption don't you think?" Piper was a little offended.  
  
Danny said "No"  
  
"Back off man" Leo had came to Piper's defence.  
  
"Just because you had a moment with her doesn't mean you have the right to call me 'man' "  
  
"Okay then, BOY, Danny Boy" [THAT'S FOR MY STALKER SISTERS!] Leo knew Danny was no competition,   
  
Piper was so pleased.  
  
"F you man." Danny spat.  
  
"Oh so now you can call me 'man'? You're lucky you're my patient, otherwise i'd teach you a  
  
lesson for talking to the lady like that." Leo retaliated with composure. He really wanted to  
  
hit Danny but he never crossed the line with his patients, never.  
  
"Danny, do you have somewhere you can stay?" Piper said firmly, but she was trying to avoid   
  
further conflict.  
  
"I'm sure i can find somewhere i can go." Danny didn't want let Leo win but he didn't want to  
  
annoy Piper and lose his chance with her.   
  
Danny went back into the room where he slept to get his torn top. Leo followed to get his bill.  
  
*Oh my goddess, where can i thank God for sending me this perfect angel? Somebody pinch me*  
  
Piper suddenly felt a pinch in her left arm. "Outch, hey..Paige?! when did you come home?"  
  
"Just then. Let me ask you something, why is there an aeroplane parked in our front yard?"  
  
Piper laughed. "The flying Doctor, Leo *drool* Wyatt, is here. He was fixing up Danny, he was  
  
attacked badly."  
  
"Danny? Leo?" Paige was confused.  
  
"Yeah?" Danny and Leo had asked back.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I'm Paige, Piper's younger sister."  
  
"Nice to meet you" the guys answered.  
  
"Well, i'm going now, bye." Danny exited the house. He kicked Leo's plane as he walked by it.  
  
Leo heard his walkie talkie speaking. It was a distress call not too far from the Halliwell house  
  
"I'm sorry, as much as i'd like to stay Piper, i have to go. It was nice meeting another beautiful  
  
Halliwell sister Paige. He took her hand and kissed it. Then Leo placed a kiss on Piper's cheek  
  
before leaving.   
  
Piper almost collapsed on the spot.  
  
"Where the hell did you find that hunk-of-spunk Piper?" Paige wondered. "Does he have any   
  
brothers?" Paige asked in hope.  
  
*lol* "I don't think he does. He didn't mention any. Personally i couldn't care less, as long as  
  
he is around that is all that matters." Piper was awestruck.  
  
"See something you like sis?" Paige already knew the answer but she asked anyway.  
  
"Ohhhh yeaaaaah" Piper beamed. "I think i need to sit down." 


	7. Nicely done, kudos to you

Chapter 7 - "Nicely done, kudos to you."  
  
"So, how was your day, was it as good as mine?" Piper was filled with light.  
  
"Unfortunately no. I did go and see 'Kill it before it dies' with Pheebs. It was alright but i  
  
don't see what she sees in it"  
  
"I don't think anyone ever will" Piper smiled. Paige smiled back at Piper.  
  
"After that i ran into Ginia.." Piper shuddered. "literally" Piper now smiled at Paige's   
  
'accident'. "She yelled at me but i just said "I'm sorry, do i know you? and then i walked off."  
  
"Nicely done, kudos to you." Piper was proud of her little sister. Paige seemed the least   
  
affected of the four sisters about Ginia.   
  
"And kudos to you, you managed to win over doctor Wyatt." Paige was happy for Piper, as she   
  
hadn't been comfortable with guys for a while now.  
  
"Hmm, i don't know if i could say i won him over but it's not a sin to dream" Piper wished.  
  
"Unless you dream is sinfull" Piper thought Paige made a very good point.  
  
"I think i'm going to go dream now, thanks for the idea Missy Paige." Piper headed for her   
  
bedroom.   
  
"No problem sis." Paige knew she had made her sister feel good.  
  
"If you need anythin, just call...just not straight away" Piper winked and then disappeared.  
  
*That's my girl* Paige had a pretty good day. It wasn't as bad as yesterday thank god. To start  
  
Paige hadn't gotten any sleep. She got up and had to fight with this disgusting man at work.  
  
Paige worked in the public relations business...or should i say 'had' worked. She quit her job  
  
after getting fed up with Ginia telling her clients bad things about her. Damn, if only Ginia  
  
were a demon, she could vanquish her and get her out her and her sisters lives once and for all.  
  
"Hmm, what to do..." Paige wondered around the house. She saw some of the chairs were untidy but  
  
she didn't care about that. Paige walked outside and the sun caught her soft blonde hair. It used  
  
to be brown then it was red but she wanted something different - again.   
  
Paige didn't feel like staying in the house anymore, it was such a nice day. She wrote Piper a   
  
note saying she would be out, and then went walkies.  
  
Paige had been walking for about and hour and found herself at a real nice stream. These were rare  
  
in a desert place like this. She had been here once before with her friend Glen but he had since   
  
moved away to travel the country. In the back of her mind, she wanted him to come back home. She  
  
missed him so much.  
  
"Paige?" Paige turned around in hope that it was Glen. It wasn't.  
  
"Glen?,.. who are you? How do you know my name?"  
  
"Hey, I'm Cole Turner. I know of you and your sisters, you're the only blonde one so you must be   
  
Paige."  
  
"Wait, Cole Turner? You wouldn't happen to be the Lawyer Cole Turner that was speaking to my sis  
  
Phoebe this morning would you?"  
  
"Yeah, that would be me. So she spoke about me then?" Cole asked, he was slightly happy.  
  
"Yes, well she only mentioned that she had spoken to you yeah." Paige was thinking that Phoebe   
  
was right. Phoebe hadn't seen Cole before but she could tell that he was cute, and she was right.  
  
"That's good. I was hoping to run into one of you Halliwell gals today." he said casually.  
  
"You were? why's that?" Paige wasn't sure if she should be scared or charmed by him.  
  
"Well i had heard so much about you that i just had to meet you all. No one ever mentioned that  
  
you girls were this good looking.....please don't take that the wrong way of course"  
  
"Of course" Paige was carefull not to sound to harsh but not too nice either.   
  
"Anyway..." Cole decided to steer the conversation elsewhere otherwise Paige may think that he  
  
was coming on to her, and he'd never have a chance with Phoebe - who he had still yet to meet.  
  
"This day has been pretty nice hey."   
  
"Yeah, it has. I couldn't stand being couped up in the house for too long."  
  
"I know the feeling." said Cole. "I hate not being able to do nothing at all"  
  
"Yah...and i'm going to be to a whole lot of nothing now"  
  
"Sounds fun" Cole joked. Paige looked up. "Why's that?" Cole asked.  
  
"I quit my job." Paige with some degree of satisfaction, she had never been fired before - she   
  
never gave her bosses the chance to do that. She'd rather quit so she'd feel it was on her terms,  
  
not theirs.  
  
"Oh..is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"  
  
"Good...and bad. Good because i couldn't stand being screwed out of my clients by Ginia Patterson  
  
and plus, if i lose my job, it won't be too much of a money burden to my sisters, yet."  
  
"And the bad?"  
  
"The bad is that i really enjoyed my job. I like helping people." Paige said sincerley.  
  
"Well, there's always time for you to get another job. Oh and don't worry about Ginia too much,   
  
she'll get what's coming to her." Cole smiled devilishly.  
  
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Paige was becoming very interested into what this Cole character had to   
  
say.  
  
"I'm not sure yet, but whatever it is, it's going to bite her in the ass."  
  
Paige and Cole laughed. "You don't mean literally do you?" Missy Paige was being cheeky.  
  
"Ha! I hope not. Nobody in hell would want to go there"  
  
"I bet Phoebe would pay a pretty penny to see that." Who was Paige kidding, she knew for a fact   
  
that Ginia was ruining Phoebe's already small advice columns. Phoebe would do anything.  
  
"Hehe. Hey, speaking of Phoebe, do you know where she is?" Cole looked eager.  
  
"Um, not exaclty. Alls i know is that she is in town somewhere. You can go look if you want"  
  
"Oh no, i don't want to seem rude and just leave you here like this."  
  
"Aww, you're sweet. But seriously, it's okay. You can go, i got things to think about anyway"  
  
"Why, thankyou Paige. I think i will attempt to find her. It was very nice to meet you" Cole   
  
extended his hand to shake hers. Paige took his hand and then waved goodbye.  
  
*What a nice guy. If he wins over Pheebs, she'll finally have a real man worth loving.* 


	8. Yeah, and she also let him park his plan...

Chapter 8 - "Yeah, and she also let him park his plane in her driveway"  
  
Paige was laying on the ground, on her side, watching the water drift by. *If only my love life   
  
were as smooth* Suddenly a a bird swooped down and caught a small fish in it's beak. *On second  
  
thought, maybe not* Paige laughed to herself. She was feeling a bit lonely. She had her sisters  
  
of course, but it wasn't enough. She needed a man, a real man. She liked Cole but she figured he  
  
would be so much better as a friend to her rather than a boyfirend. Besides, Phoebe and Cole liked  
  
each other even though they hadn't met, and Paige still had a lost friend in the back of her mind.  
  
It had been around two hours since Paige had arrived at the stream. A wild dog running past awoken  
  
Paige from her slumber. *Oh god, what time is it?* Paige didn't have a watch with her but all she   
  
had to do was look forward. It was sunset, and what a beautiful one it was. Paige's eyes followed  
  
the dog as it disappeared from her vision. Then she headed back home.   
  
"Hey Paige, nice of you to orb home" Piper remarked.  
  
"I didn't orb...ohh you knew that." Paige knew Piper had wondered where she was.  
  
"Yes, yes i did."  
  
"Sorry Mother."   
  
"Pfft, it's okay sweetie, i was just joshin."  
  
Paige felt relieved. She thought Piper was going to yell, but she thought wrong.  
  
"So, where did your little legs take you this afternoon? Somewhere good?"  
  
"Yeah actually they did. I found myself at this cute little stream, and i met Phoebe's Cole."  
  
"Phoebe's Coal? What has Phoebe been bad this year so she started a pile of Coal to save Santa  
  
giving her some later??" Piper was sarcastic, but also confused as she didn't know who Cole was.  
  
*lol* "No. Cole Turner"  
  
"Oh! So she named it then - how creative" Piper was amused.  
  
"Jeeze, Piper. Cole is a guy!"  
  
"I SO knew that" Paige looked at Piper "I did! Hello? Joking again Paige"  
  
"Yeah, you joke so much, it's sometimes hard to tell the difference anymore"  
  
Piper slapped Paige on the arm playfully. "Alright, seriously though, who is Cole? I didn't know  
  
Phoebe was seeing anyone."  
  
"Phoebe is seeing someone?" Prue yelled from the kitchen, putting her bags down.  
  
"Oh hey Prue." Paige said.  
  
"Hey. So, is she?" Prue asked.  
  
"Is she what?" Paige was lost.  
  
"Seeing someone" Piper chimed in.  
  
"Oh!, no she isn't. She just talked to this lawyer this morning called Cole Turner - not a piece  
  
of coal Piper..."  
  
"Huh??" Prue was confused.  
  
"Never mind." Piper tried not to confuse Prue anymore than she was.  
  
"And i happened to run into him while i was at the stream" Paige finished her sentence.  
  
"Ooh, what's he like?" Prue put her bag down.  
  
"Well he's tall, dark and handsome."  
  
"Just they way i like 'em" Prue smiled. "Right Piper?"  
  
"Piper?" Paige waved her hand in front of Piper's face.  
  
"Huh, wha? Oh yeah...well not neccessarliy Dark, but i will go for tall, blonde and handsome."   
  
Piper had dreamy eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah? Why's that Pippy, spill" Prue knew something..well someone was up.  
  
"Don't call me that!" Piper scowled. Paige laughed. "I met this flying doctor today." Piper   
  
grinned.  
  
"You know honey, from all the way up there, he might look a little different when down here."  
  
"No, I didn't see him in the plane up there, i met him on the ground."  
  
"You two are already on the ground gettin busy? You sleaze." ;) Prue teased.  
  
"No! Ugh, how can i get this into your head Prudence? We met outside of the plane. There was this  
  
scruffy guy who was badly hurt. So we flew him back here..."  
  
"Here? You just met the doctor and you brought him home already? Hehehe" Prue teased again.  
  
"Yeah, and she also let him park his plane in her driveway.....uh! that came out wrong eheh, let  
  
me rephrase" Paige was a little embarrased.  
  
"Don't worry bout it. Anyway, Leo fixed Danny's arm up...and then he kicked him out of the house"  
  
"Wow, he really wanted to be alone with you didn't he?" Prue got an evil idea in her head again.  
  
"Yes well...no, that's not what he wanted...although...no, Prue. No sex on the first date.."  
  
"That wasn't your first date Piper" Paige said.  
  
"True, good point. I take it back" Piper grinned a naughty grin.  
  
"I take it you had a nice dream then sis?" Paige asked, wanting to know details.  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"Do tell" Prue was also interested to see what this Leo fellow was like.  
  
"Hell no! He's for my thoughts only." Piper teased and then ran off. Prue and Paige followed.  
  
"Come on Piper, it's not like it was real so you can tell without feeling guilty..naughty, but   
  
not guilty." Paige begged.  
  
"Who's been naughty and guilty?" Phoebe had entered the room and her ears pricked up at the sound  
  
of those words.  
  
"Nobody has, unfortunately" Piper told.  
  
"Ooh, see something you like sis?"  
  
"Ooohhh yeaahh. I can't wait to see him again."  
  
"Why don't you just go to sleep?" This time Piper slapped Prue on the arm as she smiled.  
  
"I think i'd rather the real thing thankyou."  
  
"Ohh the real thing, how i miss that." Paige said sadly.  
  
"Yeah Piper, at least you have someone to set your sights on. I haven't met anyone in a while."  
  
Prue sat next to Paige and both looked a little glum.  
  
"I have!" Phoebe yelled.  
  
"Aw, i didn't mean to make you two feel bad." Piper apologised.  
  
"I met.." Phoebe tried to cut in.  
  
"No you didn't mean to Piper" Paige said.  
  
"Yeah, enjoy your new eyecandy for us okay" Prue said with a glint in her eye.  
  
"I met someone!" Phoebe stood up, before falling on the chair again.  
  
"Okay Phoebe, we heard. Would this happen to be Cole Turnip?" Piper asked.  
  
"Cole TURNER Piper! Cole Turnip, why'd you come up with a name like that?" Phoebe said.  
  
"I needed to laugh at your expense?" Piper stepped back before Phoebe could whack her leg.  
  
"Thanks a lot." Phoebe tried to hold back a smile but Piper kept making faces. "Ogh, i hate you  
  
when you do that!"  
  
"No you don't Pheebs, you love me" Piper's 'gotcha' grin had made a come back.  
  
"Grrr. Ok so i spoke to Cole on the phone earlier this morn, and then he ran into me in town"  
  
"Wow, he's good." Paige commented.  
  
"Yeah, and he said you were a very nice girl. Thanks for being nice Paige." Phoebe praised.  
  
"Of course i would be. He's a nice guy"  
  
"Yeah, and reaaaaal hot." Phoebe fanned her face.  
  
"Not as hot as Mr. Wyatt" Piper jumped in.  
  
"Hmm, i don't know about that Piper." Phoebe hit back.  
  
"How would you? You haven't met Leo."  
  
"And you haven't met Cole."  
  
"Paige has met both of them" Prue butted in.  
  
*Thanks a lot Prue* Paige thought. Paige shot daggers at Prue with her eyes. "Yes i have"  
  
"So, who's hotter then Paige? Phoebe tried to say it so Paige would take her side and beat Piper.  
  
"Oh no, i'm not getting in the middle of this. Anyway who cares? Piper likes Leo and Phoebe likes  
  
Cole, end of story."  
  
"Nicely said sista." Prue complimented.  
  
"I can agree with that." Piper said, agreeing with Paige before Phoebe could. Phoebe narrowed her  
  
eyes at Piper. Then Piper and Phoebe started laughing. They both knew they were just mucking   
  
around with each other, as they did often.   
  
That was one of the good Halliwell traits, they all had a good sense of humor, even when times  
  
got tough. 


	9. get away from there, you crazy lady

Chapter 9 - "get away from there, you crazy lady."  
  
(A week later)  
  
The town of Tari was usually quiet. Although lately many people had been coming in and going out  
  
from nowhere. The town was real busy and it was good for the local shop owners.   
  
Prue was making more money in her job. She worked in the small museum, which was really popular.  
  
She hadn't been working there long but she had enjoyed it so far. She wasn't originally going to   
  
interview for the job but Piper told her to go for it. Piper knew that Prue knew a lot about old   
  
artefacts and she knew that Prue's talent was being wasted away working in a bank.   
  
Piper was happy about all these people passing through as well. She owned this place that would   
  
have made a great club, if the people in the town actually went to clubs. They were either too   
  
busy with work, or weren't the type to go to night clubs. Instead, Piper held functions every now  
  
and then for whoever hired her. This was good, Piper didn't have to work all the time and when   
  
she did, she made a lot of money. Piper had a good reputation, Ginia even liked her work. That   
  
would have pleased Piper but she hated how Ginia always gave a bad wrap on Paige and Phoebe.   
  
Phoebe was busy now too. She wrote coloumns in the local paper from time to time. If anyone had   
  
any problems, they usually would ask each other and not bother to print it in the paper. Phoebe   
  
had many questions coming from the new comers. She decided to tackle them all at once and write   
  
one large coloumn telling them about the town and it's history - she had Prue to help her a bit   
  
with that part.   
  
Paige was bored, she now had no job. It had been a week since she had worked. Very few clients  
  
kept in touch with Paige. She still helped them talk about their problems, but she couldn't do  
  
much more as she didn't have the resources to fix their lives up. Paige decided to work on the  
  
house and pay more attention to her sisters lives. Paige helped Piper with her last function,   
  
maybe she could help Piper again with the next one.  
  
Prue was at work, so was Phoebe. That left Piper and Paige home. Piper had seemed to be pacing   
  
up and down the house all day. Paige noticed that and tried on numerous occaisions to get her   
  
attention.   
  
"Piper!" Paige yelled.  
  
"What's a matter Paige?" Piper was startled.  
  
"Nothings a matter with me, i was trying to ask about you. You seem very distant lately."  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"That's all you got to say 'oh, sorry'?" Paige was concerned but she had a feeling whatever her  
  
sister had to say wouldn't be that much of a problem.  
  
"No, i just, i wanna see Leo again. It's been a week and he hasn't called me."  
  
Paige was relieved, it was just another guy issue, nothing more. "Well he could be anywhere Piper.  
  
He's a flying doctor. Anyways, if he's taken a whole week not to contact you, i say he's not   
  
worth worrying over." Paige wanted to make Piper feel better but not to drive her away from him.  
  
He seemed like a great guy.  
  
"Yeah well i say he is worth it. I don't know, there's just something about him that draws me in."  
  
"This isn't just a 'i'm horny and he's a gorgeous guy' thing is it?"  
  
"No! Paige i can't believe you just said that!" Piper was agreeing to some degree on the inside   
  
but she didn't want to let her little sister know that.  
  
"Well, i was just speakin the truth. You want him, you want him bad."  
  
"Ogh...okay so what if i do? That's not against the law"  
  
"I knew it! There is a wild child inside of you" Paige bent over and got close to Piper's chest.  
  
"Hello wild child! Are you in there? Come out, come out where ever you are!"  
  
"What the hell?" *lol* "get away from there, you crazy lady."  
  
Piper felt better and Paige knew she had done her job.  
  
"Yep, i still got it." Paige was proud.  
  
"That you do." Piper then reached for the phone.  
  
"Who are you calling?"  
  
"The operator. Ima see if they have the numba for a certain flying docta" ;) 


	10. It's okay, i'm not here to hurt you

Chapter 10 - "It's okay, i'm not here to hurt you."  
  
Operator, "Sorry. We do not have a Doctor Wyatt on our records"  
  
"What?! He's a flying doctor, he was here last week. Leo Wyatt." Piper yelled back.  
  
Operator, "I'm sorry Ms. Halliwell but we only have two registered doctors for this area. He must  
  
be from another town. What he was doing here is a mystery to me."  
  
"Okay, thanks for you help anyway." Piper hung up the phone. *Where the hell are you Leo?*  
  
(Town)  
  
Phoebe had finished her coloumn for the day and left to go home. She walked around the corner and  
  
Paige orbed in front of her outta nowhere.   
  
"Dammit Paige! What the hell?"  
  
"Sorry Phoebe, didn't mean to scare ya. I got bored at home and wanted to come and say hi."  
  
"Why couldn't you just say 'hi' to Piper at home?"  
  
"Because one: i already did and, two: Piper was on the phone to find out about Leo."  
  
"Oh, did she have any luck with that?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I don't know, i orbed out before the operator answered..." Paige was cut off.  
  
"and ran into me." Phoebe growled.  
  
"I said i was sorry."  
  
"Yeah, it's alright. I'm sorry, i just had a long day at work and forgot i could have fun now."  
  
"You couldn't have fun writing your coloumn?" Paige asked. She knew Phoebe sometimes found  
  
writing to be fun, plus she got to tell people what to do for christ's sake!  
  
"No, i didn't. I would have but everybody was so loud today, i couldn't concentrate."  
  
"Loud? What were they being loud over?"  
  
"I have no idea. One minute they were quiet and the next they were all over the place. It was   
  
strange." Phoebe had a weird day at the office and just wanted to think about something else.  
  
"Hmm, that does sound a little strange. Let me orb you home, save you walking."  
  
"Thanks sweetie." Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand and they orbed out.  
  
(The museum)  
  
Prue had a full on day at work too, the museum was busy as hell. Prue was happy when it was over,  
  
her paycheck for today would be double what she normally would get. Prue wanted to get some fresh  
  
air on the way home so she took the path close to the hills. Half way home she felt like she was   
  
being followed. Her instincts were almost always right.   
  
"Prue? Prue!" Prue heard a man's voice call her name from behind a hill. She wasn't sure if she  
  
should check it out or run.  
  
The man stepped out from behind the hill. "Prue, you gotta help me"  
  
Prue was amazed at how cute and fit this guy looked, never-the-less she had to be weary of him.  
  
"Do i know you?"  
  
"No, but you will soon. Look, i need your help. This demon is after me and i know you're a   
  
powerful witch who saves innocents."  
  
"H..how do you know that?" Prue was starting to feel a little un-easy but she wasn't going to   
  
show it.  
  
"The demon told me, of you and your sisters"  
  
"So the demon is after you because you betrayed him? Should've known you were evil."  
  
"No, that's not it at all." The man approached Prue.  
  
"Stay there!" Prue raised her hands to attack.  
  
"It's okay, i'm not here to hurt you."  
  
"I can't be sure of that." Prue snapped back.  
  
"I know you can't, but you gotta trust me. I'm not going to hurt the person who i need"  
  
"Need? For what?" Prue wanted to know. This guy was also extremely good looking, and something  
  
inside told her he was telling the truth, but it was still a little too early to tell.  
  
(Halliwell home- when Phoebe and Paige got back)  
  
"We're home!" Paige yelled out to Piper, where ever she was.  
  
"Hello? Piper?" Phoebe asid. No answer.  
  
"Did you get Leo's number?" Paige and Phoebe looked at each other, Piper wasn't answering.  
  
"Something must be wrong. Piper!" Phoebe called.  
  
"Piper!" Paige shouted as well.  
  
"Oh my god, Piper..." Phoebe had found Piper on the floor, knocked out and was bleeding. "Paige,   
  
a little help here!"  
  
"I'm coming!" Paige ran in. "Oh Piper! is she okay Phoebe?"  
  
"I don't know." Phoebe looked scared. "Piper? Come on honey, wake up. Paige, get some bandages,   
  
we need to stop the bleeding." Piper had a huge gash in her leg.  
  
"Piper, sweetie come back" Phoebe pleaded. Paige came back with the bandages, water and towels.  
  
Phoebe stopped the bleeding as best she could. Paige had a wet towel on Piper's head.  
  
"Dammit, where's Prue?" Paige was getting frustrated.  
  
"I don't know, she should have been home half an hour ago."  
  
Piper started to come around. She opened her eyes.  
  
"Uhf...oww"  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe asked to see if her sister could hear her.  
  
"Piper!" Paige was happy to see Piper awake.  
  
"Hu..what are you two doing here?"  
  
"What are we doing here? How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm...i'm okay i guess, just a little groggy. Where is Prue?"  
  
"We don't know, we tried calling her work but they said she had left ages ago. We're really   
  
worried about her, and you too." Phoebe told.  
  
"How did this happen Piper?" Paige asked. How on Earth did something like this happen to Piper?  
  
"Um, i was at home, a little pissed off at not being able to reach Leo and suddenly this guy   
  
popped out of nowhere. He asked for the book and i wouldn't tell him. Then he got angry and asked  
  
for you, my sisters, and i wouldn't. He..." Piper started to trail off.  
  
"Piper? C'mon baby, stay with us" Phoebe tried to keep her awake so she could find out what  
  
happened and who attacked her.  
  
"OKay" she took a breath before she could speak again. "He said his name was Alec and was going   
  
get us and this town"  
  
Piper passed out.  
  
"Wait a sec" Phoebe was thinking.  
  
"What?" Paige knew Phoebe was on to something.  
  
"Alec was the brother of Kaleb, and i vanquished him the other week. Also people were acting   
  
strange at work today."  
  
"Well, this town is full of strange people, that's why we fit in so well :D "   
  
"Yeah" Phoebe smiled and then her attention turned back to her other two sisters.  
  
"We need a doctor" Phoebe was really concerned about Piper now.  
  
"And a search party." Paige added. Prue hadn't come home and it had been over three hours since   
  
she should have arrived. 


	11. Seems like you have a sixth sense too

Chapter 11 - "Seems like you have a sixth sense too."  
  
Prue found herself in another town. it had taken an hour to get there. *What am i doing here?  
  
Why the hell would i follow a guy i don't know, for all i know he could be a demon.* The man   
  
looked very determined.  
  
"Prue, i know he's around here. I can feel it"  
  
"You can feel it? What do you have, a sixth sense for demons?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Are you magical then?"  
  
"No. My parents messed with magic though, when i was younger. So i kinda grew up around it."  
  
"Your parents..are they alive?"  
  
"Shhh" The guy wanted Prue to pipe down. He could hear something.  
  
"What?!" Prue whispered.  
  
"In there." He pointed to this old house, it seemed empty and very dark.  
  
"Are you sure someone's in there?" Prue asked. She was getting the feeling that this was a hoax.  
  
"Yes, i'm very sure. C'mon, lets go in." He ushered Prue to go inside.  
  
"No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. Not until you tell me your name."  
  
"Fine. My name is Bane Jessop. Now can we go inside?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No again?!" Bane was wondering what was up with this chick.  
  
"No, not now. We need to know more about who we are up against and how to vanquish him."  
  
"His name is Alec. He wants to wipe out anyone who practices magic, and since you are a witch   
  
he will probably go after you next, i can't let that happen."  
  
"That's nice of you, but you don't have any powers..that i know of anyway."  
  
"I don't." Bane seemed believable.  
  
"...is he powerful?"  
  
"Very. He holds sway over humans very easily. He can't really make them do whatever he wants but  
  
he can change their normal behaviour."  
  
"Behaviour? As in he could make people more rowdy than they usually are?"  
  
"Yeah, i guess. How do you know that?" Bane asked as he looked through a window.  
  
"My town. Everyone in it has been well different all this week. I'm not sure how, but i knew  
  
something was up."  
  
"Seems like you have a sixth sense too."  
  
Prue couldn't help but smile, he was getting to her. He hadn't exactly said anything that would   
  
sweep a girl off her feet but he had looks to kill, the type Prue liked anyway.  
  
Bane started to go around the back of the house.  
  
"Bane, wait! We need to go back home."  
  
"Home? We're after a demon and you want to go home?" Bane was confused. Wasn't Prue super witch  
  
that could handle most demons?  
  
"To find out more about this demon. If you want to vanquish him, you'd want to make sure he is  
  
dead for good. My sisters and i can help you with that, if you're willing to co-operate."  
  
"OKay. If you think that's what we should do, then lets go."  
  
A face appeared in the window. It was Alec and he had spotted Prue and Bane.  
  
"Holy shit, he saw us!" Prue wanted to bolt. *Dammit, now he knows about us..well now he knows  
  
about me, he's already seen Bane*  
  
"C'mon Prue!" Bane grabbed Prue's hand and led her out of the town as fast as they could go.  
  
(Halliwell home)  
  
"Dammit, Piper's been out for way too long now Paige." Phoebe was pacing up and down the room.  
  
"I know. Phoebe, we gotta get her to a doctor." paige went to pick Piper up.  
  
"No, we can't move her, she'll get worse....call the flying doctor." Phoebe demanded.  
  
"Call Leo?"  
  
"No, not Leo, we don't have his number. Any doctor will do, just call one!"  
  
Paige headed for the phone and dialled the operator.  
  
"It's gonna be okay Piper, you're going to be fine." Phoebe told her sister, holding her hand.  
  
"Okay, someone is on their way." Paige re-entered the room.  
  
"Good."  
  
"And i asked about Prue again. They haven't received any calls from her yet." Paige was getting   
  
worried about her elder sister.  
  
*Dammit Prue, where are you?* Phoebe's mind was going in circles. 


	12. 3 hours? Why didn't you call me earlier?

Chapter 12 - "3 hours? Why didn't you call me earlier?"  
  
Phoebe and Paige could hear a plane circurling closer to their house. It was 10mins after Paige   
  
had made the call. Prue and Bane were approaching the Halliwell house.   
  
"Why is there a plane about to land at your house, does your sister fly?" an exhausted Bane asked.  
  
"No. I don't know why he's gonna land here." Prue got to the front door and stopped to catch her  
  
breath. Bane stopped as well and looked at Prue.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Prue answered. "Just a little tired, we had quite a hike."  
  
The plane landed and a doctor rushed out with his medical bag.   
  
"Where is Piper?" he asked.  
  
"Piper? What's wrong with Piper?" Prue was puzzled.  
  
"She's been hurt. Her sisters called me out here. Excuse me, i have to go in." The doctor pushed  
  
past Bane and Prue and went inside.  
  
"Oh god." Prue ran inside. Bane followed, he wasn't sure what to expect.  
  
The doctor had found where Piper was and attended to her immediately. "I'm Nate Perry. How long  
  
has she been like this?"  
  
"We don't know. We found her just over 3 hours ago." Paige said.  
  
"We think she had been hurt much earlier than that." Phoebe added.  
  
"3 hours? Why didn't you call me earlier? I gotta fix her up now, RIGHT now. Excuse me sir, could  
  
you help me mover her into a more appropriate spot?" Dr. Perry was looking at Bane.  
  
"Sure, anything to help." Bane and Nate moved Piper into the room where Danny was fixed up.  
  
"Ladies, please wait here until i call. Mr..."  
  
"Jessop" Bane said as he was helping to carry Piper.  
  
"Mr. Jessop, could you stay with me while i work on her?"  
  
"I'm no doctor, but of course i will." The guys and Piper disappeared out of the house.  
  
"Bane Jessop? Who is he?" Paige asked Prue.  
  
"Where the hell were you Prue? We were worried sick." Phoebe was tense.   
  
"I'm sorry i didn't call but i couldn't. I ran into Bane on the way home from work. He had demon  
  
problems and he needed my help. I didn't trust him at first, but i do now. How did this happen  
  
to Piper??"  
  
"Were not sure exactly, we weren't there when it did. In the short time that she was awake, she  
  
said that some guy..demon probably, called Alec was there. That's all she said." Phoebe told Prue.  
  
"Wait a second, Alec? That's the guy Bane was telling me about. He saw us when we were in the   
  
next town about an hours walk from here. He was telling the truth then."  
  
"Okay, so his story holds up, for now. Lets just hope Piper is going to be okay." Paige settled. 


	13. we could just use the 'power of three' s...

Chapter 13 - "we could just use the 'power of three' spell to send his sorry warlocky ass to hell."  
  
"Aaaagh!" Piper yelled. "Owww what's going on? Who are you?" Piper struggled.  
  
"It's okay Piper, just calm down. My name is Dr. Nate Perry. Your sisters called me to heal you.  
  
I need you to stay still and relax."  
  
"Uhhf." Piper tried to relax but she was in so much pain. She couldn't keep still, the cramps   
  
were really bad in her leg.   
  
"Come on Piper, you'll be fine. Let Mr. Perry help you." Bane tried to reassure Piper as he held  
  
her down.  
  
Piper screamed again, the pain was too much to bear.  
  
"Piper!" Prue ran into the room.  
  
"I said don't come in here until i call you Ms. Halliwell." The doctor ordered.  
  
"But maybe i can help?"  
  
"I'm sorry, you'll have to go." Prue looked at Piper who looked back, and then she left the room.  
  
Dr. Perry injected Piper with something to calm her down. Piper fell asleep after a few minutes.  
  
"Wow, was she strong." Bane could finally let go of her.  
  
"Yeah, it's amazing how adrenaline can affect you. Thank you Mr. Jessop, i'll be fine now."  
  
"Alright. Call me if you need." Bane looked at Piper and then turned to leave.  
  
"Will do." The Dr. answered and then Bane went back to the house.  
  
"Is she okay?" Paige asked Bane.  
  
"Yeah, i think so. She's asleep now, Nate is bandaging her leg up. It was a real nasty cut. It  
  
looked like someone did that to her deliberately."  
  
"Alec did it." said Phoebe.  
  
"Alec? She ran into Alec and she's still alive?" Bane looked at the Halliwells. "You must be   
  
pretty damn powerful witches."  
  
"Wasn't he after you though? You're mortal and you're not dead.." Paige was trying to work Bane  
  
Jessop out.  
  
"He's hasn't been after me yet. He knows that i know about him though. That is what puts me in   
  
danger."  
  
"Why are you even doing this Bane?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"I don't like evil beings. Never have, never will. Dark magic ruined my parents, i don't want it  
  
to ruin your lives too."  
  
"So back to my question earlier Bane, are your parents dead?" Prue asked for the second time.  
  
"....Yes."  
  
"We lost our parents too when we were younger - to dark magic as well." Paige told Jessop.  
  
There was a short silence before the Doctor re-entered the house.  
  
"Is she gonna be okay?" Phoebe shot up out of her seat.  
  
"She will be. It will be a while before she can get around as well as she normally would. She   
  
needs lots of rest, and lots of water and food whenever she's hungry if you want as fast   
  
recovery. Oh and she'll need to be injected with this once a day for a week. Then she should  
  
be good. I need to know how this happened to her though. You don't get a laceration like that  
  
just by landing on a fence..."  
  
"She was attacked."  
  
"Attacked. Do you know who did it?"  
  
"No." Prue lied.  
  
"Okay. Well if you get any ideas of who did it, or if Piper remembers anything - tell her to give  
  
the sherrif a call alright?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"First, we need to get her in bed. Which room is hers?" The sisters pointed out her room as Bane   
  
and Nate carried Piper as carefully as they could there. The placed her in the bed.  
  
"Okay, well i'll be off now. Piper has lost a lot of blood, she needs all the help and rest you  
  
can give her. Don't forget to give her the medicine and also give her lots of attention, and rest  
  
when she's tired." The doctor waved and walked out to his plane.  
  
"Oh Dr. Nate?" Paige yelled out.  
  
"Yes Paige?"  
  
"Do you know of a Doctor Leo Wyatt and where we can contact him?"  
  
"Leo Wyatt? How do you know him?"  
  
"I don't. Piper met him and..."  
  
"She likes him hey? He's my friend from San Diego. I wonder what he was doing out here?.. Anyway,   
  
i don't have his number but if i see him again, i'll tell him that you asked."  
  
"Thank you." Paige smiled and Dr. Perry got into his plane, started it up and flew off.  
  
"Guess what? Turns out Nate knows Leo."  
  
"He does? Did you get his number for Piper?" Phoebe smiled.  
  
"No. he didn't have it, he did say he will mention us when he next sees him though."  
  
"Better than no number guess." *At least Leo will find out about Piper someway* Prue thought.  
  
"I'm sorry to cut this sisterly moment short, but Alec is still around. Look what he did to your  
  
sister."   
  
"I'll go check the B...back and see if i can find out more about him." Paige didn't want to let  
  
Bane know about the Book of Shadows.  
  
"I'll come too." Phoebe follwed Paige out.  
  
(Shed...'alter room' LOL)  
  
Paige bent own to get the B.O.S out from underneath the floorboard. They kept it there out of   
  
sight, to make sure nobody would just walk in and see it.  
  
"Um Paige?"  
  
"Yeah Pheebs?" Paige looked up.  
  
"I don't know if we'll find much or even anything in there."  
  
"Why not? He's a demon isn't he?"  
  
"Yeah but he's the brother of Kaleb remember?"  
  
"Yer, so?"  
  
"Kaleb was human, turned Demon. So that means Alec is too." Phoebe worked out.  
  
"So, he's a warlock then? well we could just use the 'power of three' spell to send his sorry   
  
warlocky ass to hell." Paige said with enthusiasm.  
  
"Maybe, but you should make that 'sending his sorry powerful warlocky ass to hell'."  
  
(Piper's room)  
  
Prue looked worried as she sat by Piper's side, stroking her long brown hair.  
  
"She'll be okay Prue." said Bane sincerely.  
  
"Yeah." Prue knew that he did have a softer side and that he was going to be around for a while. 


	14. Got milk?

Chapter 14 - "Got milk?"  
  
It had been a few days since Piper was attacked and Bane had arrived. The sisters still had to   
  
deal with Alec. They wanted to use the simple but powerful 'power of three' spell, but Piper   
  
still couldn't get up and around yet. She could try blowing him up if the spell didn't work but   
  
again, she was too weak to leave the house.  
  
Paige was in the kitchen reading a magazine, Bane walked in his boxers and she looked over at him.  
  
"I hope you don't mind me staying here." Bane said to Paige who was tyring not to stare.  
  
"Uh..no, not at all. I'ts not like you're going to be forever, just while this Alec business is  
  
happening, right?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm doing this for you're sisters and myself. I have to know he's dead."  
  
Paige admired his will. Bane grabbed a milk carton out of the fridge. He shook it. "Got milk?"  
  
Paige came back with, "Ooh, don't think so."  
  
"I thought Phoebe was supposed to get the milk today." Prue said as she dragged herself into the  
  
kitchen. She was still a little tired after working yesterday.  
  
"No, she was going to but Cole asked her out again, so she is with him." Piper said as she leant  
  
against the door frame.  
  
"Piper what are you doing out of bed?" Prue wanted Piper to know that she should be resting.  
  
"I'm hungry. I wanted to get something to eat."  
  
"I could've brought you something in Piper." Bane said. Prue smiled at him on the inside.  
  
"Thanks, but it's fine." Piper tried to use the walls as something to lean on as she walked.   
  
"See? I'm fine." Piper smiled and then her face looked in pain as she fell to the floor. "Ahgh."  
  
"Piper!" Paige, Prue and Bane ran over to pick her up.   
  
"I told you, you should stay in bed as the doctor said." Prue ordered.  
  
Piper tried to flash a sarcastic look at her older sister but she couldn't do it. Bane picked her  
  
up and she put her arms around him. He carried her into her bedroom.  
  
"I was serious when i said i can bring your breakfast to you." Bane smiled so he sould see Piper  
  
smile. She did.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sick of these four walls and it's only been three friken days." Piper whined.  
  
"Hehe."  
  
"What are you laughing at huh pal?"  
  
"Oh, sorry. It's just you're cute when you're angry."  
  
"Oh, and here i thought you thought Prue would be cute when she's angry." Piper thought Bane had  
  
a thing for her sister Prue.  
  
"Prue cute when she's angry? Naw, she sexy when she's angry and Phoebe is..."  
  
"popular to boot. Paige is bitchin, great hair, the guys all like to stare..." Piper was cheer-  
  
leading, well quoting from the 'bring it on' movie.  
  
Bane laughed with Piper, not at her. "You know, i have never met anyone who can be so sarcastic,   
  
and beautiful and funny and dramatic and protective about her sisters all at the same time.  
  
"I'm Charmed."  
  
(kitchen)  
  
"What are they laughing at?" Prue asked. Her and Paige could hear Bane and Piper in the other   
  
room.  
  
"Hmm." Paige was thinking.  
  
"Hmm? What was the 'hmm' for?"  
  
"You're jealous."  
  
"Jealous? I'm not jealous. I'm......jealous." Prue wasn't happy, she didn't like to be wrong.  
  
"Yes you are and that's okay. It's good to see you with a guy again Prue." Paige was being the  
  
caring sister.  
  
"Yeah, but i'm not sure i'm actually with him you know?"  
  
"No, i don't. Do tell."  
  
"We have this great chemistry, and i do find him extremely hot.."  
  
"Then what's the problem?" Paige never had any problems talking to guys.  
  
"Piper."  
  
"Piper? Oh you cruel woman, pick on the cripple."  
  
*lol* "No, i'm not picking on her just because she's down or injured. It's just everytime i go  
  
to talk with Bane, he is in her room 'helping' her. I'm starting to get the feeling that he will  
  
end up liking her and not me." Prue was stirring her cup of tea around even though it was already  
  
stirred enough.  
  
"Ohh Prue. He is just a kind person, that's all. He cares about Piper because he cares about you.  
  
He wants to make her feel better. I'm just guessing but, in the back of his mind, getting a good  
  
rep. with your sister will get him a better rep. with you."  
  
Prue knew Paige was on the right track. "Wow Paige. Are you sure you're not the psychic in this   
  
family?"  
  
"Hehe no, i'm sure about that." Prue smiled and drank her overly stirred tea. "Speaking of family  
  
psychics, what do you think about ours?"  
  
"Phoebe? I love her, she's our sister. You know that." Prue had no idea where Paige was heading.  
  
"I didn't mean her as a person, i meant her with her lovelife - as in her choice of men."  
  
"Oh, well you could've said it like that in the first place." Paige stuck her tongue out at Prue.  
  
"I think Cole will be good for Phoebe. He has a promising job, because he is good at it - and he  
  
seems to be a very level headed guy who knows what he wants. Who knows, maybe will see what being  
  
with an older guy is like and then maybe she wont go out with guys who just want a bang and that  
  
don't have any direction in their lives."  
  
"Wow, and here i was looking for a short answer. But i do partially agree with you, just don't   
  
tell her i said that...and how do you know that he is good at his job?"  
  
"I've seen him in court. One of my clients had artefacts stolen and went to court on the weekend."  
  
"Oh well that's good..i meant about Cole being a good lawyer, not about your clients stuff being  
  
stolen." Paige corrected herself.  
  
"Did it work out?" Bane said as he re-entered the room. Prue went to answer but stopped because   
  
Bane had kissed her on the cheek.   
  
Prue was blushing, "Uh....yeah the case worked out, Cole won."  
  
"Good for him." Bane was now wearing actual clothes but Paige still stared a little.  
  
"Okay, i think i'm gonna go to the store and get some milk or something." Paige grabbed her purse  
  
and left the house. 


	15. wow you're hot like fire

Chapter 15 - "Wow you're hot like fire."  
  
Prue and Bane wanted to go out, but they didn't want to leave Piper there on her own. Piper told  
  
them that she would be fine, and she promised not to go walkies while they're not around. After  
  
some coaxing, Piper had convinced Bane and Prue to go out and have fun.  
  
"I don't feel right about this." Prue said.  
  
"I don't really either but we have to take a chance Prue." They both knew that Alec could be   
  
around, but he hadn't been spotted by them in a while and the town seemed pretty quiet again.  
  
"I know. I just don't want Piper to get hurt. What if he goes back home and hurts her even more?"  
  
"He wont. I think he'll be expecting you, Phoebe and Paige to be there waiting for him. Besides,   
  
if he was around, the town would be loud and rowdy again like it was last time." Bane put his arm  
  
around Prue to make her feel safe. Prue trusted Bane and he was right about Piper being safe for  
  
now. They walked off together, heading in no particular direction.  
  
(Halliwell Home)  
  
"Knock, knock." A man was at the door. Piper was alseep so she didn't hear him. He banged on the  
  
door this time and it woke Piper up.  
  
She groaned "Alright, alright, i'm coming! Just a sec." She knew she promised the others that she  
  
wouldn't get up and around but what if it was important like a guest coming to visit?  
  
The guy didn't hear her answer and let himself in. He was coming around the corner and so was she.  
  
He stepped around it and looked at her.   
  
"Leo!" Piper couldn't believe it was him. She lost her breath again and started to fall. He caught  
  
her and picked her up.  
  
"I had to come back, i couldn't get you out of my head. Then when Nate told me you were hurt bad  
  
i had to see if you were okay." Leo said as he carried her to the couch. Piper looked up at him  
  
and felt great. *I can't believe he came back.. Oh no, do i feel hot all over.*  
  
"I think i'm gonna pass out." Piper was out before he placed her down.  
  
"Piper? Piper? Wow you're hot like fire." *Uh, okay Leo, don't panic. You're a doctor, look for   
  
some medicine, there's got to be some around here somewhere!* Leo looked around and found the   
  
injections and instructions in the cabinet. "Phew, this will be easy." He fixed Piper up with a   
  
shot but she woke up midway through it.  
  
"Wha?..uff." It hurt, she hated these.  
  
"It's okay, this will help you. Just relax." Leo had finished. Something in his voice calmed Piper  
  
down.  
  
"Here we go again." Piper felt comlpetely calm.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Everytime i get given this stuff, i see whitelights all around." She smiled at him. "You look  
  
good like that."  
  
"Thankyou." He blushed, and he wasn't sure if she meant it or if it was the medicine talking.  
  
Piper now felt no pain and felt she could say anything. "Could you take me to my room?"  
  
"Deffinatley!.. I mean yeah of course." Leo wanted her but held back as best he could. He picked   
  
her up and she had her arms around his neck tight so their faces were close. She guided him to   
  
her room. She was tired now.  
  
"Nice bedroom." Leo liked it. He sat on her bed after putting her on it. It was a double bed.  
  
"Thanks." Piper began to drift off but she tried to stay awake. She finally had the man she   
  
wanted with her and didn't want to let him out of her sight.  
  
"I missed you. I wanted to come back here."  
  
"So why didn't you then, Leo?"  
  
"It was a mess out there. Many people had injuries similar to your's."  
  
"and Danny's? You remember Danny don't you?" Piper said with a hint of mischief.  
  
"Hmm lets see - arogant, tried to take you for himself and was an ass even though i healed him   
  
- vaguely, vaguely."  
  
Piper and Leo laughed. Piper eyes started to close.  
  
"I don't want to fall asleep, i want to talk to you." Piper said.  
  
"It's okay. I will be here when you wake up." He lay on her bed next to her and she snuggled into  
  
his chest and was out like a light.  
  
(Local Restaurant)  
  
Cole and Phoebe had finished their lunch. Phoebe always thought lunch was a cheap imitation of  
  
dinner but she came anyway, she really wanted to see Cole.  
  
"I'm glad you came Phoebe."  
  
"I'm glad you asked Cole."  
  
Phoebe and Cole left the restaurant and went for a walk down by the stream where Cole and Paige  
  
had met. It took them a while before they had reached it.  
  
"This place is beautiful Cole, where did you find it?"  
  
"I found it right here Phoebe."  
  
"Ohh right, what i meant to say was - how did you find it" Phoebe felt like an idiot, an idiot in  
  
love.  
  
"Well i was walking one day, hoping to run into you and instead i ran into your sister Paige.  
  
I loved it, the stream not Paige - she was nice though, and i had to come back. It's a nice  
  
distraction from everything."  
  
"Yeah, well we should come here more often."   
  
Cole and Phoebe spent the rest of the day there.  
  
(Middle of nowhere - lol)  
  
"It's been great to finally get out and talk to you without anything else interrupting." Bane   
  
told Prue.  
  
"Yeah i know, i mean we could talk before but that was at home. My sisters are very, very good   
  
eavesdroppers. I should know, i'm one of them." Prue smiled at the thought.  
  
"Yes you are, through and through. I wish my family had the chance to be as close." Bane paused.  
  
"And now i get the chance to be close with you." He looked at the woman beside him and held her  
  
close.   
  
"Yes you will be." Prue said and then she kissed Bane like there was nothing else that mattered. 


	16. Trique Valley High

Chapter 16 - "Trique Valley High."  
  
Paige was at the store. She got some milk. *Hmm this sucks, my sisters, well two of them are with  
  
their guys and i'm here all alone.* Paige missed Glen. She had no clue where he was and when he  
  
was coming back. *Forget about guys, you are with happy with your life now, even if you are   
  
unemployed. Be happy for your sisters* Paige's conscience was all over the place. She tried to  
  
shut her brain off when this hot guy walked past. *Oh i liiiike the look of him.* Then her face  
  
turned sour as she saw the guy hug another girl. *Dammit, he's taken. Stupid blonde bimbette.*  
  
Paige continued walking, she thought she may as well go shopping since she had already bought  
  
some milk.  
  
(Stream)  
  
Cole and Phoebe continued to walk sown the stream, going where ever it took them. After a while,   
  
they had no idea where the hell they were. They had lost track of time.  
  
"Hey, i think i see someone over there." Phoebe said and pointed forward.  
  
"Should we ask where we are?"  
  
"Sure." They approached the two people.  
  
(Middle of nowhere)  
  
"I think i see someone Bane."  
  
"Yeah, and they're coming this way."  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
"Prue? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I don't know. Bane and i went for a walk and we ended up here. :D"  
  
"Same here. Do you know where we are?"  
  
"Nope" said Bane.  
  
"Oh well, doesn't matter. We'll just follow the stream back." Cole said.  
  
They all looked over and saw this real scruffy guy.  
  
"Hey look, a hobo." Cole laughed. Phoebe slapped him on the arm playfully.  
  
"I'm no hobo, you ass!"   
  
"Then what are you?" Cole asked.  
  
"I'm the garbo"  
  
"All the way out here?" Bane asked.  
  
"No, i was being sarcastic you jerk."  
  
"Look pal, do you actually want anything, or are you just gonna hang around and call us names?"   
  
Prue asked the scruff.  
  
"Hey, you remind me of a guy Piper met." Phoebe told.  
  
"You know Piper? How is she?"  
  
"She's fine. ..You must be Danny then." Prue said.  
  
"Yeah, has she said anything about me?"  
  
"No, well yes, but it's not good." said Phoebe.  
  
"Let me guess, i bet she was all over Leo Wyatt." Danny said coyly.  
  
"Yes, she was. Bye now." Phoebe said and then went to walk off. They all left Danny there.  
  
"Yeah, bye." Danny wasn't happy and he headed off in the opposite direction, holding his arm.  
  
"Wait a second," Cole said as he kept walking, "Piper knows Leo Wyatt?"  
  
"Yeah he's the one who attended to her when she was hurt. Why Cole?" Prue asked.  
  
"Because i went to school with him in San Diego."  
  
"Were you two close?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"Yeah, well not close as in best friends but we had a few classes together. We had different   
  
personalities but i guess that's what made our friendship work. I haven't spoken to him in ages,   
  
is he with Piper now?" Cole wanted to know.  
  
"Um..no. They met once and seemed to get along well but they haven't spoken since the night of   
  
the attack." Phoebe told.  
  
"Yeah, he never got back to her." Prue said. She was starting to dislike Leo, he hadn't contacted  
  
her sister who kept talking about him even though she didn't know him. Prue didn't know that Leo  
  
was in her house at that very moment.  
  
"So you went to school in San Diego Cole?" asked Bane, he had been pretty quiet.  
  
"Yeah, i went to Trique Valley High."  
  
"Really? Me too. Well for a while anyway."  
  
"You did? I don't recognise you."  
  
"Yeah well i was only there for a while. I remember you now, you were in the class two years   
  
above me and Leo was....i remember him just...he was in the same year, yeah that's it."  
  
"Good memory." Prue was impressed.  
  
"You said you only went there for a while?" Phoebe directed to Bane.  
  
"Yeah. I had a tutor after in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. My parents couldn't keep it together   
  
because of magic and i didn't want to go to school while leaving them there incase of emergencys"  
  
"That was nice of you." Phoebe told Bane.  
  
"You really cared about your parents didn't you." Prue said.  
  
"'Couldn't keep it together because of magic?' i don't follow." Cole was confused.   
  
"Oh...um..i meant the magic in their marriage. They had "magic" problems all the time." Bane  
  
covered up as best he could, he didn't know Cole didn't know.  
  
"Yeah, my parents split when i was very young. My Dad was this great guy but he was killed. My  
  
mother wasn't very nice." Cole remebered the painful memory.  
  
"Oh i'm so sorry." Prue said to Cole.  
  
"Our parents didn't stay together forever either. Mom died and our Grams did too." Phoebe told  
  
Bane and Cole.  
  
"So were all kinda in the same boat then." Bane said. The rest of the walk back to the town was  
  
silent. 


	17. Well, she looked relaxed, and relaxing i...

Chapter 17 - "Well, she looked relaxed, and relaxing is what the doctor ordered."  
  
The four had arrived back at the town and were very hot. They decided to get a quick drink at  
  
a cafe before heading home.   
  
"Paige!" Phoebe yelled out. She was entering the cafe.  
  
"Hey guys, nice to see you here. Double date?"  
  
"No, well it wasn't originally. We ran into each other before."  
  
"Come, sit." Bane offered.  
  
"Thanks." Paige sat down and had drinks with them.  
  
(Time lapse)  
  
"Oh my, look at the time. I'm sorry, i'd love to stay but i have a case in half an hour." Cole  
  
apoligised.  
  
"That's okay, at least i got to spend most of the day with you." Phoebe smiled.  
  
"Yeah it was great. Phoebe i might be gone a few days, this trial could drag out a while. It was   
  
nice meeting you two, and seeing you again Paige." He got up and shook Bane's and Prue's hands.   
  
Cole friendly hugged Paige. Then he turned around and kissed his girlfriend goodbye.  
  
"Bye." Phoebe watched her guy go out the door.  
  
Bane looked up on the wall calendar and saw the date. "Oh my god." Bane smacked his head.  
  
"What is it Bane?" Prue asked.  
  
"It's my friend's birthday today and i totally forgot. He lives in the next town. Crap, he'll   
  
think i've bailed on him if i don't go." Bane put his hands through his hair.  
  
"Close friend?" said Paige.  
  
"Very."  
  
"Then go, it's okay. I don't want you to ruin your friendship." Prue said politely.  
  
"Are you sure? I might be gone for a few days..."  
  
"Yeah, i'm sure. Go have fun."  
  
"Thank you so much Prue for understanding." Bane got up kissed Prue and walked fast out the door.  
  
"Well look at that. Your guys will be gone for a few days. Welcome to my world." Paige said trying  
  
to smile.  
  
"You seeing someone Paige?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"No, i just miss Glen is all."  
  
"He'll come back, he always does." Prue reassured her little sister.  
  
"Thanks. We'd better go now, the milk wont last much longer out here." Paige smiled and then they  
  
left the cafe. They snuck around the corner and orbed home. Yeah, yeah, personal gain, but if the  
  
milk went off and they got sick, the Halliwells wouldn't be able to fight ;)  
  
(Halliwell Home)  
  
"We're home!" Phoebe yelled.  
  
"Shhh, she might be asleep Pheebs." Paige scolded.  
  
"We're home." Phoebe whispered. Prue laughed.  
  
"Yep, i think she's asleep." Paige said, because Piper didn't answer.  
  
"Lets go check on her." Phoebe grabbed her sisters hands and headed for Piper's room.  
  
They opened the door. "Oh my, doctor you've changed." Paige said.  
  
"Doctor? Wait, is THAT Leo?" Phoebe couldn't believe Piper's dream guy was so yummy.  
  
Piper and Leo were fast asleep in the bed under the sheets..well the sheets were actually up to  
  
their waists and they were only wearing their underwear. They were lying side by side facing each  
  
other and were in an embrace. Piper was leaning on her good leg, the right one.  
  
Prue pulled her sisters away from the room - literally.  
  
"What's a matter with you Prue?" Phoebe asked. *So what if we were looking at our sister and her  
  
hunky man?*  
  
"What's a matter with me? Piper is supposed to be resting, you call the resting?!"  
  
"Well, she looked relaxed, and relaxing is what the doctor ordered." Paige smiled and Phoebe   
  
couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Yeah, but he is a doctor, he should know better!" Prue snapped.  
  
"Um..Prue? Not to sound cheeky here but weren't you the one making all the sleazy jokes to Piper  
  
when you found out about Leo?" Paige asked.  
  
"That was different. That was before."  
  
"So what's the big deal, before she was dreaming about her guy and now she has had her guy  
  
literally." Phoebe said with a grin.  
  
"Typical, that type of thinking could only come from you Pheebs." Prue snapped again.  
  
"Hey!" Paige didn't want them to be arguing over a stupid issue.  
  
"Am i interrupting something?" said Leo, who had messy bed hair and blue boxers on.  
  
*Woah* "Hi" Phoebe and Paige said in unison.  
  
"Hey." Leo said back with blush.  
  
"Are you interrupting something? Yes you are buddy. Piper is supposed to be resting her leg, not  
  
getting it on with the doctor man." Prue said directly to Leo, trying to make him feel   
  
uncomfortable.  
  
"I know that but..."  
  
"But what? You wanted to get busy so you went back to a girl who couldn't really say no and.."  
  
"Couldn't say no?! Of course she could say no, she can't use her leg, not her mouth."  
  
"Oh god, you mean to say she..you know, 'cause if she did.."  
  
"No, she never did that, and i never asked her to!"  
  
"Leo! Where are you?" Piper yelled from the other room.  
  
"Got to go, patient is calling." Leo said and stormed off back to Piper.  
  
"Prue, what the hell was that? You're acting like he's a friken criminal!" Phoebe said.  
  
"Can you believe that? He said 'patient is calling', i bet he thinks this is all a kinky game."  
  
"No he doesn't Prue, i can't believe you. Lighten up, you've been all fun for the last month and  
  
now you are going nuts over a stupid little thing." Paige tried to knock some sense into her   
  
older sister.  
  
*I bet 'it's' not a little thing* Phoebe thought, and then she put on a serious face to work Prue  
  
out.  
  
"You call 'our injured sister getting laid' a stupid little thing? He could've hurt her."  
  
"Prue, if she didn't want to she'd say no. She's not stupid enough to sleep with a guy that   
  
could hurt her. Piper is a smart, safe girl, and you know that." Phoebe stuck up for Piper.  
  
(Piper's room)  
  
"What's a matter Leo?" Piper asked, Leo was looking worse than he had all day.  
  
"I just met your sisters."  
  
"They're here? What's wrong with them?" Piper thought for sure that Leo would like her sisters.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with THEM, just one of them, Prue. She didn't approve of me sleeping with you."  
  
"Are you serious? I can't believe she would be like that. She's done nothing but support me when  
  
it came to meeting you again." Piper shook her head. "I'm sorry she was like that, really."  
  
Leo came over, sat on the bed and hugged Piper. "It's alright. I can sort of understand where   
  
she's coming from but i'm not sorry it happened."  
  
"Me neither." Piper smiled and kissed Leo.  
  
Leo could hear Prue's voice from Piper's room. "Don't worry about her Leo, she'll get over it...  
  
i hope." said Piper.  
  
"Yeah i hope so too. But i think i should go, for now. Until things cool down. I don't want to  
  
get you in the bad books with your sister."  
  
"Aww you're so considerate." Piper kissed him again. "But i don't want you to go."  
  
"Leo kissed her back. "It'll help Prue work out what bugging her if i leave. I will come back, i   
  
promise." Leo put his clothes on, and approached Piper. He kissed her goodbye and left her room.  
  
"Bye." Leo said to the sisters in the lounge and then left.  
  
The girls went from the lounge and into Piper's room.  
  
Piper shot Prue an evil stare. "What is up with you?"  
  
"Prue!" Paige and Phoebe yelled at their older sister.  
  
"What's up with me? I'm having fun, that's what's up. I like Leo, you know that. Why are you being  
  
so bitchy about it? and how could you snap at him like that? he did nothing wrong."  
  
"Nothing wrong? He slept with you."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So? Oh my god Piper, you need to rest, sleeping with someone in that way doesn't count!"  
  
"Prue, what the hell has gotten into you?"  
  
"Come on Prue, it's not as serious as it sounds" Paige tried to calm Prue down.  
  
"Prue, give Piper a break okay?" Phoebe said.  
  
"Screw you guys." Prue said and then stormed out of the house.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with her? Is she under a spell?" Piper said.  
  
"God knows." said Paige.  
  
"She'll be fine later, just let her go sort out her issues." Phoebe said. "So, how did this all  
  
happen sis? Spill." Phoebe said playfully.  
  
"It wasn't meant to happen. I was asleep, he knocked on the door. I went to answer. I fell when i  
  
saw him - literally. He caught me and put me on the couch. I was hot and unconsious. He injected  
  
me. I told him to take me to my room when i woke up."  
  
Phoebe said "Wow, Piper i didn't know you were that forward with guys." Paige winked.  
  
"No, i haven't finished obvoiusly. I was falling asleep but i didn't want to. He didn't mind. We  
  
were on the bed and i fell asleep on his chest."  
  
"So when did you two...you know?" Paige asked.  
  
"After we woke up. We didn't mean too...well we did want to but we weren't going to."  
  
"Stop avoiding the actual answer sis." Phoebe teased.  
  
"We looked at each other, and started making out - oh my goddess is he a good kisser. Anyways,   
  
one thing lead to another. Next mintue he is on top of me and we were about to...get it on and.."  
  
"And?" Phoebe and Paige said.  
  
"He hurt my leg. It hurt so bad. I had to tell him to get off and not in the sexual way Pheebs.  
  
We were disappointed. Then we hugged, made out again and we worked it out that time - on the side"  
  
Piper told with a smile.  
  
"Ohh nicely done sis." Paige praised.  
  
"Good way to work around your...problems." The sisters laughed at Phoebe's useful use of words. 


	18. You're so sweet, i just wanna eat you up

Chapter 18 - *You're so sweet!, i just wanna eat you up.*  
  
(Four days later)  
  
The mood wasn't very fun in the Halliwell house. The gals missed their guys even though it had   
  
only been four days. Where the hell were they?  
  
The telephone rang. "I'll get it!" Piper yelled. She could walk now but it was more of a hop than  
  
a walk. "Hello?"  
  
"Heya." *Heya sexy*  
  
"Hi Leo!" *Hello Mr Wyatt* Piper was excited to hear his voice.  
  
"How are things at home, Is Prue okay? actually more importantly - are you okay?" *Are they okay?  
  
You're damn fine*  
  
*You're so sweet!, i just wanna eat you up.* Piper thought before she answered. "Yeah i'm pretty  
  
good thanks honey."  
  
"Honey? Ooh i could get used to that." *Say it again*  
  
Piper was beaming. "Hehe. And Prue's well, she is fine now thank god. We figured it out." *It's ok,   
  
she wont kill you* What had happened with Prue was that she had cast a spell on herself to make   
  
her have love like her sisters had, but as always, love spells backfire. Instead of giving her   
  
more love, it made her jealous and even loathing of Leo. Piper, Phoebe and Paige had worked it   
  
out because Prue wouldn't admit it on her own, then they reversed the spell, hopefully no   
  
consequences would come about because of it.  
  
"That's really good to hear. So, i'm in the area, do you mind if i come over?" *I wanna come over*  
  
*I've been dying to see you* "No, not at all. My sisters are at home though."  
  
"That's fine, i don't mind. Alrite, i'll be there in a few." *I'm on my way baby* Leo said and   
  
then he hung up.  
  
Piper put the phone down and sighed contently. *Come to momma*  
  
"Why are you so happy?" Phoebe asked, she knew something was up.  
  
"Leo's coming over." Piper flashed a 'this day just got so much better' look.  
  
"Ohh is he? Want us to clear out?"  
  
"No, that wont be necessary."  
  
"Leo's coming over? I'm surprised he is game enough to come back here after what happened the   
  
other night." Paige said as she entered the room.  
  
"Of course he would come back, Piper is here." Prue said as she was packing her bag for work.  
  
"You're okay with this?"  
  
"Of course i am. I know it didn't seem like it last time, and i'm really sorry for that but i   
  
was under a damn backfired spell."  
  
"That's alright Prue, i understand." Piper said as convincing as she could but deep down she had  
  
not forgotten how Prue had acted towards her new love interest.  
  
They all heard the plane land in the front yard. Leo got out and let himself in.  
  
"Hey there." He said with a charming smile. Piper hopped up to him and hugged him. "Wow, you hop   
  
good." *lol*  
  
"Hey! It's better than nothing." Piper said. "Are you guys hungry?"  
  
"Yeah, i haven't eaten yet today." said Phoebe.  
  
"Me either." Paige said.  
  
"What about you two?" Piper asked Leo and Prue.  
  
"Yeah, i'd love to see you cook." Leo answered.  
  
"No thanks, i gotta get to work. I'll grab some coffee on the way. Leo can i talk to you outside?"  
  
"Uh, yeah sure." He was preparing for another barking at.  
  
"Bye guys." Prue said to her sisters and lead Leo out front.  
  
"P..." Piper started to call her sister but Paige and Phoebe stopped her. "What?"  
  
"It's okay, Leo will be fine."  
  
"Prue is apoligising to him."  
  
"Oh, well then that's okay." Piper said after her sisters had spoken.  
  
Leo came back in after Prue and him had a chat.  
  
"Oh, no battle scars i see." Piper said happily.  
  
*lol* "No, she was good about it. It's in the past now."  
  
Piper cooked breakfast and they all sat at the table.  
  
"Wow, that was fast." Leo complimented. he couldn't believe how quick she was.  
  
"I used to be a chef." Piper said, and then joined them.  
  
"Mmm, this is really good. I haven't had a breakfast like that for a while now."  
  
"Isn't a doctor supposed to have a healthy breakfast before he goes to work?" Paige asked.  
  
"Yeah we are, and i do but you gotta hand it to your sister, she's a great cook." Leo said with  
  
a smile.  
  
"Why thank you very much Doctor Wyatt."  
  
"Ok well, i'd love to stay and chat but i gotta go write a coloumn." Phoebe got up. "It was nice  
  
to meet you Leo properly."  
  
"Nice to meet you officially too Phoebe. Have a good day." She smiled and headed out the door.  
  
After about half an hour of chat, Paige couldn't help but feel like 'three's company', Piper and   
  
Leo couldn't keep their eyes off each other. "I think i'm gonna go and water the flowers now on   
  
the porch."  
  
"Want some help with that?" Leo offered.  
  
"No thanks, i'll be fine." Paige disappeared out the back door, she wanted to give them some time  
  
together, since she wasn't going out today.  
  
"There aren't many flowers on the porch you know." Piper told.  
  
"I know, i've been past there." Then Leo had a very devilish grin on his face.  
  
"What?" Piper thought she knew what he was thinking but she wasn't going to let on just yet.  
  
Leo didn't say a word. He walked over to her and helped her up off of her chair.   
  
"What are we doing?" Piper knew, but she wanted to play.  
  
Leo stayed silent. He leant in and kissed her, then he picked her up and she put her legs around  
  
him as best she could. They were against the wall. It was only a few mintues but Paige was going   
  
to be back inside soon. Leo put her back on her chair and her sat opposite her.  
  
They were silent as Paige walked back in.  
  
"Am i interrupting something?" Paige asked.  
  
Leo and Piper shook their heads and then smiled. Paige knew something had happened but she wasn't  
  
sure what.  
  
Leo left a few minutes later, not by choice but because he received a distress call and had to go.  
  
"What just happened?" Paige asked, she was intrigued.  
  
"Nothing i wanna share ;)" Piper giggled. 


	19. Surprise me

Chapter 19 - "Surprise me."  
  
(Three days passed)  
  
"Damn, it's so hot and it's only 7am." Paige said. She was wearing a short red dress.  
  
"Tell me about it, it's 45 degrees today." Phoebe wiped the sweat off her face. She was wearing a  
  
top..well you might not be able to call it a top, it was more of a strip of material that showed  
  
her stomach and she was wearing shorts.  
  
"Who wears short shorts?" Piper came in singing.  
  
"I wear short shorts." Phoebe sang back. Piper was wearing a silky tank top that was backless, it  
  
had straps criss-crossing her back. She also had a frilly skirt that came down to her knees.  
  
"Anyone going to work today?" Prue asked. She had a pink no sleeve work shirt and a knee  
  
length black skirt.  
  
"Yeah, just a second Prue." Piper said. All the sisters were going into town today. Piper and  
  
Paige were going to throw a function again this morning and had to get there early so the food  
  
would be fresh. Phoebe was going to see Cole, his case was closed and he had one it.  
  
(Town)  
  
"You're seriously going to go to work on a day like this?" Phoebe thought Prue was crazy.  
  
"Yeah, i mean as much as i'd rather be at home, the museum is air conditioned so i'll be fine."  
  
"Okay, it's your choice. I'm gonna go see Cole now, bye gals." Phoebe said and went off.  
  
"Alright, well i'm gonna go now too." Prue turned to leave.  
  
"Prue, are you okay?" Piper asked.  
  
"Yeah of course i am, what makes you ask?"  
  
"Well, you seemed a little down lately." Paige observed.  
  
"Bane hasn't contacted me in days. This would be fine because were not serious or anything but he  
  
said he was going to a friend for his birthday. You celebrate birthdays for ONE day, not a week."  
  
"I'm sure he's okay." Piper reassured.  
  
"Yeah, he's okay." Paige mimicked. Piper smiled.  
  
"Okay, he better have not been lying to me. Nah, he's fine, i'm just being silly. We're not even  
  
seeing each other so it doesn't matter. Bye, see you later." Prue said confidentely and left.  
  
"Wow, she brushed him off pretty quickly." Paige noticed.  
  
"A little too quickly." Piper reconfirmed.  
  
(Piper's club a.k.a the town's function house)  
  
Paige had set up all the tables and decorations while Piper had worked her butt off in the  
  
kitchen with all the other cooks she had hired.  
  
Paige was inside with the crew checking everything before the guests arrived. Piper was at  
  
another store buying a bottle of champagne. She carried the bottle back to the function house  
  
and she stopped at this empty barnyard which was wide open. It was facing away from the town and  
  
you could see the empty plains through it.   
  
Piper was staring out into space when she felt these strong arms wrap around her waist. Then the  
  
guy started to kiss her neck. She knew who it was. "How did you find me here?"  
  
"I knew you were going to be in town today so i thought i'd come bye." He smiled.  
  
"How did you know that huh?" She smiled back.  
  
"I called your house and Phoebe told me. I wanna show you something." He said as he was holding  
  
her close.   
  
Piper hugged him back. "What is it?"  
  
"It's a surprise" he said in a low voice. She was looking over her shoulder and saw Paige.  
  
Paige mouthed, "Don't worry, i'll handle the function."  
  
"Are you sure?" Piper mouthed back.  
  
"Yeah, i'll be fine, you go have fun." Paige said and laughed as she watched Piper try and talk   
  
to her and play with Leo at the same time. Piper said "I love you" and waved behind Leo's back.  
  
"You still here?" Leo said. Piper hadn't accepted his request yet.  
  
"Yes i am. Surprise me." Piper said. Leo blindfolded her. "What's this for?" Piper said in a   
  
cheeky tone.  
  
"You'll see, when this comes off. Don't worry, i wont let you fall." Leo picked Piper up and put  
  
her in the plane.  
  
"Going for a ride are we sir?"  
  
"Yes ma'am we are."  
  
(Piper's club)  
  
The function had started and was going well.   
  
"Where is your sister???" Ginia barked at Paige.  
  
"She, uh had a doctor's appointment." Paige made up...well it was kinda true in a sense *lol*.  
  
"Really? Well she had the nerve to not tell me." Ginia spat.  
  
"Yeah, um, it was unexpected, last mintue you know. She was supposed to have one earlier but the  
  
doctor was booked, and he was free today so he had her come in." Paige lied.  
  
"Oh. What's she in for, is she sick?" Ginia raised her nose to show her supirioity...which she   
  
lacked in the Halliwells world.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure but i think she's having a physical." *Damn Paige, you're good. Didn't  
  
actually lie bout that part hehe.*  
  
(Place Leo took Piper)  
  
"Are we there yet?" Piper asked in a little kiddy voice.  
  
"Any minute now little one." Leo answered in a daddy tone.   
  
*Wow, he has a good fatherly vibe coming from him. I don't want kids yet, i wanna fool around.  
  
Where the hell is he taking me?* Piper was thinking.  
  
*Almost there. She's doin the little kid voice...i don't want kids yet. I wanna fool around.* Leo  
  
was thinking as well.  
  
"We're here." Leo said as he started to land the plane. It hadn't been that long when they were  
  
flying. Piper could feel the plane dive closer to the ground. It was kinda fun, flying blind-  
  
folded and not knowing where she was going was very exciting for Piper.  
  
The plane had landed and Leo came into the passenger room of his plane, 'The White Light'. He   
  
guided Piper down the stairs and onto the ground. Piper felt the surface of the ground was very   
  
soft under her sandals. She could smell sweet flower aroma as well.  
  
"Okay, ready?" Leo grabbed the blindfold.  
  
"As i'll ever be." Piper replied. Leo took the mask off and she was amazed. "Goodness Leo, this  
  
place is beautiful!" She praised. They were at an old house that was a medium sized two-story.   
  
The softness under her feet was the lush green grass that you wouldn't normally find in this  
  
part of the Country. There were flowers all around the sides of the house and the trees were tall  
  
and in bloom.  
  
"Thank you. I take it you like it?"  
  
"Yes, i love it. Leo, is this yours?" Piper looked him in the eye.  
  
"Yeah. I bought the land many years ago from my uncle. I've tried to keep the plants growing in  
  
my spare time in hope that one day i could move in here with somebody. The house...well it needs  
  
some work." *Suddenly a tile fell off of the overhanging verandah above the front door* "Okay, it  
  
needs a lot of work. But when it's done it's going to be perfect." Leo smiled.  
  
"I bet it will." Piper smiled back. "Wait, you don't have time to actually live here?"  
  
"Unfortunately no, not really. Being a Flying Doc. i don't have much time to myself..sometimes i  
  
have whole weeks off but lately there's been a lot of people getting attacked." Leo looked down.  
  
"I know, it's been pretty crazy hasn't it.. Don't look so sad." Piper put her hand in his.  
  
"Sorry. It's just on one hand, it's having to work a lot and on the other hand, it's not being  
  
able to spend time at home and spend time with you." Leo said and he squeezed her hand tight.  
  
"Lets go inside."   
  
Leo had given Piper the tour of his un-finished house. He was right, it did need work and it did  
  
need more furniture in it. Otherwise Piper liked it. She didn't know he had anything like this in  
  
his life. Now that she did, she didn't want to him to lose it, or her to lose him.  
  
(Piper's club)  
  
"Paige! Where is your sister?!" Ginia tried to yell under her breath but it came out more like an  
  
extremely loud whisper.  
  
"She's still with the doctor obviously!"  
  
"Don't give me that cheek young woman. This is her club, not yours!" Ginia scoffed.  
  
"Yeah and she gave me permission to run it while she is gone."  
  
"She never told me that." She said while turning beetroot red.  
  
"She doesn't have to, you don't own this place, you don't run it, so you have no say." Paige   
  
stood up against the w..bitch ;P .  
  
"Ogh! I have NO say?! I have half of these functions, I am her main customer - if it wasn't for   
  
me, she wouldn't be having the success that she is!" Ginia was yelling this time. Everyone was  
  
looking.  
  
"No you're not. The people that attend the functions are the reasons why she's doing so well that  
  
and she's a great host with lots of talent. Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go check those  
  
great customers we have here today." and with that, Paige went to serve tables.  
  
"Stupid young girl. You wait until your sister hears about this! She'll be surprised at you!"   
  
Ginia yelled across the room. She was expecting everyone to be on her side but no one spoke. This ruffled her stuck up feathers  
  
and she left the club. *Yup, i'm a suprising woman.* Paige thought to herself.  
  
(Leo's not-lived-in-much-or-worked-on-much-yet house)  
  
"Orrh, it's so god damn hot, even indoors." Leo said.  
  
"I know, i'm so glad i didn't wear something less revealing than this." Piper looked at her   
  
clothes. *Did that come out wrong?..nah*  
  
"I'm glad you didn't either. You look great." Leo complimented. Piper blushed but it didn't show,   
  
she was already flushed because of the heat. "There's a fan in the other room. I'll get you a   
  
drink...oh damn."  
  
"What's wrong?" Piper asked.  
  
"I haven't been here in a week so i have no drinks and bugger all food." He smacked his head.  
  
"It's okay, i see you have chocolate bavarian cheesecake in the freezer and there's champagne in  
  
'The White Light'. Piper grinned.  
  
"Oh you saw the name of the plane?" Piper nodded. "I don't know why i called it that. It just felt   
  
right." said Leo Wyatt :D. "Hey, did you say champagne?"  
  
"Yeah, remember i had bought some just before you found me. You picked it up before you blind-  
  
folded me i think."  
  
"That's right, i did too. Silly me, I did put it in the plane. I'll be right back." Leo said,   
  
then he kissed her on the cheek before running outside.  
  
Piper was left inside, she stared around the room. *This house is gonna look so awesome when it's  
  
done..and i can't wait to visit :P *  
  
"I'm back." Leo had the champagne in one hand. He was a little sweaty because it was a scorcher   
  
that day. "Somehow, it's still cold too. Shall i serve it?"  
  
"Yes please. I'll get some bavarian for us too. Hey, you mentioned a fan in the other room?"  
  
Leo poured them a glass of champagne each and Piper had cut up the cake. "Yeah, we'll have to eat  
  
in the bedroom...beacause the fan is in there of course." He nervous laughed at himself. That   
  
almost came out wrong.  
  
"okay, lead the way Wyatt."  
  
"Follow me Halliwell."  
  
(Cole's house)  
  
"Wow Phoebe, you said you were gonna congratulate me on the win but i didn't expect that." Cole  
  
smiled as he peaked out from under his bed sheets.  
  
Phoebe appeared from under them as he said that. "Hehe, i'm full of surprises and that just then  
  
was amazing."  
  
(Museum)  
  
"Prue, you've been working harder than everyone else here has in the last week. I think we all  
  
deserve some time off, starting tomorrow."  
  
"But, it's okay i can..."  
  
"No, i insist. Besides, it's not that busy around here now like it was a few weeks ago." Prue's  
  
boss flashed a smile. Prue hadn't realised it before, but her boss was really handsome, not to   
  
mention nice.  
  
"Alright, if you insist." Prue couldn't believe she had just accepted his offer. "Come visit me."  
  
"Are you serious?" Prue's boss Colby Jones wasn't expecting that.   
  
"Umm." Prue didn't know whether to joke or really mean it.  
  
Colby looked at her. "Of course you are, you're always serious."  
  
"I am not! i can, you just don't know me well enough."  
  
"True that. Well i guess i'll find out more about you when i come see you." Mr. Jones said and   
  
then walked off mysteriously.   
  
Prue went to get her stuff and head home. *What am i doing? ..it's okay, you've invited him over   
  
as a friend. Besides our friendships have been diminishing lately.* Prue smiled as she calmed  
  
down and headed out the door. 


	20. Taking care of business

Chapter 20 - "Taking care of business"  
  
Leo opened the door and lead Piper into his room, it was the only room with a fan in it. His bed  
  
was king size and bouncy. The window overlooked the beautiful backyard he had. He had various  
  
paintings on the wall and an old antique mirror hanging next to the door, above the dressing   
  
table. He didn't have chairs in his room though..so they had to sit on the bed.  
  
"Well here it is." Leo said as he placed the champagne bottle on the dressing table.  
  
"Wow, it's one of the nicest rooms in the house." Piper complimented again. "Shall we?" Piper  
  
motioned to the bed with the cake on a plate in her hands.  
  
"We shall." Leo said and brought the glasses of champagne with him. "Oh, i almost forgot the fan."  
  
"Yeah, we can't forget that. We'll melt in here." Piper said. She thought if he didn't put the  
  
fan on at least, that the room would get too hot..for good reasons of course, but it would be  
  
best if they didn't pass out.  
  
"A toast." Leo said, raising his glass.  
  
"A toast...to what?" Piper raised hers.  
  
"To us. A toast to us, this might seem a little forward - Together forever"  
  
"It's not too forward, it's perfect - Together forever." Piper clinked her glass with his and they  
  
drank.   
  
Leo was beaming. He also realised that Piper only brought one plate in and one fork. Piper saw   
  
him looking at the fork. She started to laugh, "I could only find one fork Leo."  
  
"Hehe, it's okay. I forgot to tell you where they were kept..i guess we'll have to share."  
  
*Fine by me* Piper thought. She cut a piece off and ate it. Leo looked hungry, so she cut another  
  
piece and fed it to him.  
  
(On the way home)  
  
"Prue!" Prue heard a man's voice come out from behind the hill. It was coming from the same place  
  
as she met Bane..she knew it was him. *Do i stop or do i keep walking?*  
  
"Prue, wait!." Prue stopped and a sweaty Bane ran up to her. "Prue, i'm sorry i was gone for so   
  
long. When i got to my friends place, i realised i had some stuff to do. You seemed pretty busy  
  
with your work so i thought you'd be okay with me gone." He stopped to catch his breath. "Are  
  
you okay?"  
  
Prue was silent for a second. "I'm fine with my work, i'm fine with my sisters, but i'm not fine  
  
with you. You told me you were going to celebrate a friend's birthday - which is fine but you  
  
didn't even call to tell me you'd be gone for longer."  
  
"I know, i'm sorry but i didn't have your number. I didn't need it before because i was living in  
  
your house..you look embarrased or something, are you seeing someone?" Bane didn't look angry.  
  
"No! I mean i noticed someone i hadn't noticed before today, but we're just friends and i hope to  
  
extend that friendship. For me, what are you Bane - a friend, a lover or a user?"  
  
"You have to ask me that? I want to be with you Prue. Just because i was away for a week doesn't   
  
mean i don't care. You're, you're looking at me like i've commited a crime" *Jeeze, what am i in?  
  
a soap opera?*  
  
"Well i don't mean to look like that. To be honest, i was scared, scared that Alec may have got  
  
you and hurt you. Scared that you didn't want me..and now you come back not wanting to tell me  
  
what you've been doing and that scares me." Prue couldn't believe what she had just admitted, she  
  
wouldn't even tell her sisters that.  
  
"I never meant to make you feel like that, i never did. Once again i'm sorry. I'll tell you what  
  
happened if you really want to know, it wasn't bad at all. You have nothing to be afraid of."  
  
said Bane comfortingly. Then he put his arm around her waist and began to walk her home, telling  
  
her about his one week leave.  
  
(Cole's place)  
  
"You should win more cases so i can congratulate you more often." Phoebe said while staring out  
  
of his bedroom window, she was wrapped in a sheet.  
  
"Hmm, i don't know whether to take that as a compliment to my bedside manner or a pay-out to my  
  
abilities in the courtroom." Cole said back, still lying in bed.  
  
"It was a compliment, trust me it was." Phoebe said turning to look at him.  
  
"Some reason i get the feeling you want me for my 'services'" Cole said in a teasing voice but on  
  
the inside he really felt like that.  
  
"Well to be honest your 'services' are amazing, but i'm not with you just because of them. They're  
  
plenty of reason to stay with you but i like you for who you are Mr. Turner." Phoebe smiled and   
  
lay back down beside him.  
  
Cole felt relieved. "Good to know you feel that way Ms. Halliwell."  
  
"Good to know you're taking care of business and taking care of me." Phoebe said and kissed him  
  
on the forehead.  
  
(Piper's club)  
  
The function had finished and people were beginning to leave. Paige thought it had gone pretty   
  
well.  
  
"You did well for a first timer. Tell your sister i was pleased." said Mrs. Jones.  
  
Paige smiled. "Will do."  
  
"Hey, way to go and give Ginia a reality check." said this young guy just younger than Paige.  
  
"Thanks, it's been a long time coming." *I don't think it was nearly enough though*  
  
Paige was looking down and a man came up and shook her hand. "Nicely done Ms. Halliwell"   
  
She looked up. "Thank you very much." *Here's a piece of manhunk history*   
  
"Lets hope Ginia realises she's not wanted in this town and she gets her little butt outta here."  
  
"Oh i wish, but i think her head is too big too understand that."   
  
The guy laughed at Paige. "True that."  
  
"It's okay though, i think after that someone will come along and knock some sense into her."  
  
"Any ideas as to who would be that saviour?" he asked.  
  
"Nope, but maybe i can rally my sisters up and do a bit of a gang tackle." Paige kidded.  
  
He was laughing to himself "Where are your lovely sisters Paige?"  
  
"Prue is working i think and Piper and Phoebe are with their men." Paige smiled.  
  
"Piper is with her guy? I didn't know she was seeing anybody, until today. Is that why she's  
  
not here and you took over the function?"  
  
"Yup, i let her go. She wasn't expecting him to visit her today but when i saw them together i   
  
had to let them go. They're just so perfect."  
  
"Known each other long have they?"  
  
"No, not really. But anyone could tell that they're meant to be together just by looking at them"  
  
"That's really good to know. I'm happy for her."  
  
"You seem to want to know a lot about my sister." Paige said, a little disappointed.  
  
"Yeah, but i don't like her in the way her guy likes her, you don't have to worry about that. It  
  
is just that Piper and i used to be really close friends and i had to move away two years ago. We  
  
lost touch." The guy said.  
  
"Oh! You must be James then!" Paige worked out who he was. "I can't believe we had never met."  
  
"Yeah that's very weird. Her and i were friends for ages and i never saw you once." James said.  
  
"Ah well, you're back now so we'll get to meet more often, and you can speak to your friend again  
  
too." Paige smiled. "You're not a colleague of Ginia's, you came today to see Piper didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah i did. Too bad she had to go away with..what's his name?"  
  
"Leo, Leo Wyatt."  
  
"That name sounds familiar......he owns 'The White Light' doesn't he?" James questioned.  
  
"The White what?" Paige hadn't head that name before.  
  
"'The White Light', it's the name of his plane. He and i trained together years ago." he   
  
remenisced.  
  
"Oh are you a doctor, a pilot or both?" Paige wanted to know.  
  
"None. Well i have my pilot's license but my job isn't actually being one. I was just interested   
  
about how to fly a plane. I did it for fun." James smiled.  
  
"Hey listen, we've actually got to close up here but i'm going back home if you want to come."  
  
"Yeah that would be great. Do you mind if i stay the night? ..I'm only asking because i have no-  
  
where to stay at the moment and i'd like to catch up with your sisters, if that's okay."  
  
"That's totally fine by me James." said Paige. She closed up and they headed off home.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
Four glasses each later and the cake was almost finished. They both wanted to finish it and were   
  
eyeing each other.  
  
"I want that piece Leo."  
  
"I know you want it, but i want that piece too."  
  
"I'm the guest, i need to be served." Piper teased.  
  
"And i'm the doctor, i need food to stay alert." Leo teased back.  
  
"Well then, you shouldn't be drinking Leo."  
  
"And you shouldn't be letting me drink Piper."  
  
They weren't getting anywhere, and they were both a little drunk. A short silence passed and they  
  
both dived in to get the piece - Piper had picked it up with the fork but Leo had gotten his  
  
face in the way. The piece ended up on Leo's face, rather than in his mouth.  
  
"Aww, see what you did?" Leo growled. [GRRR HEHE]  
  
"Yes i did, but it was your fault." Piper growled back.  
  
"I'll go get a serviette to clean it off."  
  
"A serviette? Are you sure you even have one in the house Leo? since you don't have food..."  
  
"Good point." Leo laughed at the lack of things in his place.  
  
"Here, i got it." Piper went to use her hands to clean it off his face but Leo's tongue got there  
  
first. "Hey! cheaters aren't s'posed to prosper."  
  
"Oh, have i been naughty by cheating? What are you gonna do about it?" Leo looked Piper dead in   
  
the eye.  
  
"Cheat with you." And with that, Piper got closer to Leo and the rest of the cake disappeared   
  
from around his lips. Leo smiled and turned his head to her lips and kissed her. Piper was   
  
looking back into his eyes.  
  
"Hmm"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"If that's what i get for cheating, maybe i should cheat more often." Leo said and then leant in  
  
for another kiss.  
  
"Yes maybe you should." Piper kissed him back. "But i gotta tell you, cheating is a bad habit."  
  
"Ok, so we'll call it something else then." Leo had his arms around his girl.  
  
"Alrite then, we'll take care of that business after we take care of this business." Piper kissed  
  
her man passionately and they made love all afternoon. 


	21. Yeah, I'm a real catch

Chapter 21 - "Yeah, i'm a real catch."   
  
(Cole's Place)  
  
Phoebe and Cole awoke to the sound of the phone ringing.  
  
"Don't get that" Phoebe said.  
  
"It might be important." Cole said back, as he leant over her.  
  
"As important as me?"  
  
"No but someone might need my help" he smiled.  
  
"Yes, what would the world be like without Cole Turner. Go on, answer it then."  
  
"Hello?" "Now?" "Can't it wait?" "Yes, i did say i would." "I didn't mean straight away" "I'm  
  
busy at the moment, a few hours longer won't hurt." "Well if you put it that way...okay okay i  
  
said i would help you so i will." "I'll be there soon, bye." Cole got up and put on his clothes.  
  
"What was that all about??" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Business is all." Phoebe felt angry. "Important business Phoebe, i have to go."  
  
"Are you going to tell me what that business is at least?" Phoebe was up and dressed.  
  
"I told a friend i would help him with a personal matter, i just didn't realise it would be so  
  
soon." Phoebe now looked sad. "I never expected for you to fall for me, i thought you'd say no  
  
if i asked you out. You did and i don't want to leave your side, but i have to." Cole packed  
  
his suitcase.  
  
"I know...will you be gone long? you're talking as if this will be a long time." Phoebe walked  
  
up to him.  
  
"I have no idea how long, but i promise you i will get back as soon as i can okay?" Cole hugged  
  
his girlfriend.  
  
She looked into his eyes, "Okay" Phoebe kissed him goodbye, left his place and headed for home.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
The lovers were asleep in each others arms and had been for a while. The stars had just started  
  
to appear in the sky. A coyote howled in the distance and it woke Leo up. He stared across at  
  
the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life and he was glad she was his to have. Piper  
  
started to wake and gazed across at her man.  
  
"Did you have a good sleep?" Leo said, stroking her long beautiful hair.  
  
"Best one i've had in a while," Piper smiled brilliantly. "You?"  
  
"Best sleep i've had in my entire life."   
  
A cool breeze swept over them from the bedroom window that was partially open. It was a relief  
  
since the day had been so damn hot, the hottest one in a long time.  
  
"Come look at this." Leo got out of bed, approached Piper's side and wrapped the sheet around the  
  
both of them. Then he lead her to the window and opened it. "See the stars? They remind me of the  
  
twinkle in your beautiful eyes."  
  
"Oh Leo." Piper's cheeks went pink, even the though she had a nice glow to her already.  
  
"I mean it Piper, you're the most beautiful girl i've ever seen."  
  
Piper kissed Leo so romantically that his cheeks went pink too. "These stars are beautiful, i've  
  
never seen them so bright anywhere, not even from my place." Piper looked back to Leo.  
  
"That brings me to the conclusion that your eyes and the stars shining brightest here now is a   
  
sign. A sign that this is where you're supposed to be, where we're supposed to be."  
  
"You mean us together tonight?" Piper smiled.  
  
"Yes." Leo smiled back. "But not only tonight. Piper," he took her hand "I want us to live  
  
together, here. My life has never been the same, ever since i met you i've wanted nothing else   
  
but to be with you for the rest of my life. Please say yes." Leo looked her square in the eye.  
  
Piper wanted to be with Leo so bad, even from the start. She wanted to say yes and she was going  
  
to say yes...but in the furthest part of her mind she knew that if the Charmed Ones were to work,   
  
then she had to stay home, like her other sisters did. *Why do i have to be a damn Charmed one??*  
  
"Piper are you there?" Leo asked, Piper snapped out of it.  
  
"Yeah i am, Leo...i want to, more than you know"  
  
"But you're not going to say yes are you" Leo looked so disappointed that it hurt Piper.  
  
"Leo, i...just...can't," Leo's gaze strayed away from Piper's. "say yes at the moment. I have to  
  
run this past my sisters first."   
  
Leo said nothing. *Why? Why do you have to ask your sisters if you can move out or not??*  
  
"I know what you're thinking, you're thinking why the hell would a grown woman have to ask her   
  
sister's permission to move out. I don't have to get permission Leo, i just have to tell them  
  
and work out a way for us to..do what we do without ruining things."  
  
Leo turned back to Piper. "What things?" he didn't know of her secret and Piper didn't know why  
  
she hadn't told him already.  
  
"It's compli...it's something that i will explain later - i PROMISE"  
  
"Promise?" Leo had some hope in his eyes.  
  
"Promise. Leo i love you, and we WILL be together, just not right now. I love you."  
  
"....i love you too Piper." Leo kissed her and felt better at the fact that she didn't reject him  
  
and that she loved him just like he loved her.  
  
(Halliwell home)  
  
Prue and Bane had arrived before the stars set over the night sky. They were sitting on the couch  
  
together. Phoebe just got home too, grabbed something to eat, said hi and then went off to bed.  
  
"I'm sorry i doubted you Bane."  
  
"It's fine, you had every right to. I'm just glad that you understand now."  
  
"I'm glad that you didn't leave for good. I also am amazed at how a mortal like yourself could've  
  
fended off a warlock to protect a friend's friend all by yourself."  
  
"You don't believe me?"  
  
"Of course i believe you, i just want to know how you did it."  
  
"Well, growing up with parents who dabbled in magic comes in handy sometimes. I know the basics."  
  
"Good to know, i'm relived that you weren't hurt. I could've come with you and helped you, my  
  
sisters could've come too."  
  
"Yeah but i didn't know that they were in trouble until i got there, if it weren't for the fact  
  
that it was my friend's birthday, he and his friend probably would've died."  
  
"Lucky you're a man who actually remembers dates like that."  
  
"Yeah, i'm a real catch." Bane laughed sarcastically.  
  
"No, you are. I wouldn't love you if you weren't." That was the second time Bane had heard a girl  
  
tell him that she loved him so it was still something that knocked him off his feet.  
  
Prue went to kiss Bane when the phone rang. "I'll be right back." Prue said and ran over to get  
  
it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Prue, it's me Colby Jones."  
  
"colby! uh..Hey, how are you?"  
  
"I'm good thanks...i just rang to say that i wont be able to come over this week."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, it's been a while since i've had time off so my wife and i decided to head out of town. Is  
  
that okay?"  
  
*Wife? I didn't know my boss was married* "Yeah sure, it's fine. You go have a good time with   
  
your wife and i'll see you at work next week."  
  
"Okay thanks, you enjoy your time off too. Bye Prue."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Who is Colby?" Bane asked, he was standing behind her.  
  
"Ah! Bane you scared me you sneaky bugga." Bane smiled cheekily. "That was my boss, i asked him   
  
to come over so we could get to know each other but he is going out of town with his wife."  
  
"That's good news."  
  
"You jealous?"  
  
"Me jealous of him? Hell no. That means i get to spend more time with you." Bane kissed Prue.  
  
The front door opened and in walked Paige and James.  
  
"James!" Prue yelled and ran over to him."  
  
"James?" Bane was confused.  
  
"He is Piper's old friend, Prue and Phoebe know him as well." Paige explained.  
  
"Prue!" James hugged her. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm great! I see you've met Paige. This," Prue signaled Bane to come over, "is my boyfriend Bane  
  
Jessop. Bane this is our old friend James Ashton."  
  
"Nice to meet you Bane."  
  
"Likewise James." They firmly shook hands.  
  
The four of them talked into the night and got along well. It didn't look like Piper was coming  
  
home tonight. Paige was getting very attached to a certain James Ashton.  
  
Chapter 22 - 


	22. They ALWAYS kid around like that, trust ...

Chapter 22 - "They ALWAYS kid around like that, trust me."  
  
It was the next morning and the sun was shining brightly over the plains. Prue and Bane were in  
  
Prue's room, Phoebe was still asleep and Piper hadn't returned. Paige was up and ready to get   
  
breakfast. James was fast asleep on the couch, Paige couldn't help but notice him as she walked  
  
past. He awoke as she entered the kitchen.  
  
"Paige? Why you up so early?" He asked, blinking his eyes to wake up.  
  
"Early?" she spun around, "It's 9am, that's not early."  
  
"It is for someone who doesn't have to get to work." said James as he slowly dragged his fine ass  
  
off the chair.  
  
"Compliment or payout?" Paige wondered over to the fridge and poured some Orange Juice.  
  
"Compliment. It means i can get to know you a little better since we haven't really spoken before  
  
yesterday. I still can't get over the fact that i know you're sisters so well but i don't know   
  
you." James pondered and joined her in the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, me either. O.J?"  
  
"Sure." Paige handed him a glass and they both sat down at the table.  
  
"Maybe the Gods didn't want us to meet before, and now they've realised the mistake they've   
  
made." She kidded.  
  
"Yeah a deffinate mistake made there. I wish i had met you before, you're just as great as your  
  
sisters...who have still yet to rise." James took a sip.  
  
"Prue's usually up by now, but i think she's with Bane. Phoebe..hmm, i didn't really see her   
  
yesterday. And Piper, god knows what she's doing...."  
  
Paige was cut off. "Or who she's doing." Phoebe had walked in and plonked her ass on a chair.   
  
James laughed at her. "Omigosh, James!! When did you get here??" Phoebe flopped over the table  
  
and hugged him.  
  
"Hehe, i got here soon after you crashed last night."  
  
"Well it's great to see you again, i was starting to wonder if you were coming back. By the way,   
  
you look great." Phoebe complimented.  
  
"You mean the messy bed hair, thanks. It's unique to only me...and everyone else who just woke up  
  
such as yourself." James pointed at her hair.  
  
"Hey! Be nice, i haven't had the chance to wake up yet..oh that's what you just said isn't it.   
  
Eheh, see that proves everything." Phoebe smiled and grabbed a glass.  
  
Paige looked over at James. *Yup, the messy hair works well on you indeed.* Then they all heard  
  
a plane buzzing over the house. "That'll be Piper."  
  
"Oh dat means she was with Leo then." Paige gave Phoebe the 'obviously' look. "Yeah, yeah, still  
  
tired remember?"  
  
Paige and Phoebe stayed at the table but James stood in the front doorway so he could greet his  
  
best old friend. James looked over and saw Leo step out of the plane, then he helped Piper down.  
  
James watched them kiss and then Leo got back in and started the engine up and flew off. James  
  
glanced over to get a better look at Piper. He couldn't believe it when he saw it, she was   
  
looking so great these days, it had only been two years since they saw each other last but two  
  
years can do a lot to someone.  
  
"Piper Halliwell!! You look absolutely stunning!" James yelled out.  
  
Piper couldn't see him because of the dust that the plane caused as it took off but she could  
  
tell who it was. "James Archer!!" The dust settled and she could see him...in his pyjamas. "When   
  
did you get here? and since when do you get around in your jim-jams??"  
  
*lol* "I got here last night, and i slept over, therefore the jim-jams." James hugged Piper and   
  
went inside.  
  
"Hey Piper! You look..glowing, do tell" Phoebe said as she saw her sister walk in with the   
  
same clothes she was wearing yesterday.  
  
"You can't tell us all about it on an empty stomach, what do you want to eat?" Paige asked.  
  
"No thanks, i ate already." Piper said as she lay on the couch.  
  
"Oh i bet you did." said Pheebs in a teasing tone.  
  
"Actually i didn't eat already, that was last night. Yeah i'm starving, feed me!" Piper protested.  
  
"Sounds like someone had a bit too much to drink last night." James said as he sat on the couch  
  
opposite her. Paige wanted him to sit at the table with her.  
  
"I drank last night yes, but i didn't get drunk thank you very much." Piper placed her head on a   
  
pillow.  
  
"How much Piper?"   
  
"Four James."  
  
"Yep, you were drunk." James said with a huge smile.  
  
"Was not! I can handle four flutes of Champagne, i run a club for crying out loud." Piper stuck   
  
her tongue out at him.  
  
He did it back. "Champagne? You meant business."  
  
"Taking care of business!" Phoebe sang from the kitchen. Paige smiled, but wished she was the   
  
one talking with the spunk, not her sobering sister.  
  
Piper laughed at Phoebe. "I did not take care of business Pheebs."  
  
"Really? Bummer."  
  
"No, i didn't mean it like that! THAT i took care of."  
  
"As you do." James added. Piper threw the pillow she was resting on at him. "You got a thing for  
  
pilots do you Pipe? 'cause i have my liscense." James said with a grin.  
  
"You do? Meet me in my room in an hour, bring the champagne." Piper teased.  
  
Paige didn't know they were kidding and walked outback. Phoebe was confused and followed her.  
  
"What's a matter Paiger?" Phoebe asked, she was wide awake now.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Oh it's more than nothing, i can tell. You like James dontcha? Well don't worry about Piper,   
  
James and her have been friends forever. They ALWAYS kid around like that, trust me." Phoebe  
  
put and arm around her younger sister.  
  
"Really?" Paige looked at Phoebe.  
  
"Yeah, they could say pretty much anything to each other and they'd never get offended to heart."  
  
"But she threw a pillow at him Phoebe."  
  
"Out of fun Paige. Jeeze, i really need to take you out sometime."  
  
"Are you saying i'm no fun?" *grr*  
  
"Of course you are fun Paige, always have been. I'm just saying that you haven't been having as   
  
much lately, i can tell. We'll go out this arvo okay?"  
  
"Sure. Thanks Pheebs." They hugged and went back inside only to see Piper and James tackling on  
  
the floor.  
  
"Who's on fire?!" Paige yelled.  
  
"Hey! No play fighting without me!" Phoebe jumped on top of them, but then got off, she knew   
  
better than to get in the way of those two.  
  
"He said i had my top on the wrong way!" Piper yelled from the top.  
  
James rolled over on top to tell his side. "And she said i was getting love handles - which i am  
  
NOT! i'm in great shape and she knows it!" James had Piper pinned down on the floor and she   
  
couldn't get up.  
  
Prue and Bane walked in, arm in arm. "Hey!" Prue yelled. "What kind of service are we running in  
  
this house?" Prue teased.  
  
"Forgotten about Leo so soon?" Bane laughed as he saw Piper trying to get James off of her.   
  
James smiled at that comment and held Piper's arms down. "Take it back."  
  
"No you take it back first." Piper gave up and lay there catching her breath.  
  
"Fine. You don't have to show me your boobs." *Mohahaha*  
  
"Okay. You're very fit, but you're not getting any from me." *Mohahaha*  
  
They got off of each other and stood up. Prue and Phoebe remembered how they used to do that all  
  
the time a few years ago, they had forgotten what it was like. Paige and Bane were laughing but  
  
confused at the strange way Piper and James had made up. *Every one to their own* Bane thought.  
  
*Well that was weird..Glen used to be like that with me..* thought Paige. 


	23. I think that falls into all three catego...

Chapter 23 - "I think this falls into all three categories of serious."  
  
It was late afternoon now. Phoebe had taken Paige out for retail therapy and Prue went out to an  
  
late lunch with Bane. Piper was left at home catching up with James.  
  
"So Piper, how long have you known Leo?" James asked as he finally decided to put away the pillows  
  
that were thrown about earlier that day.  
  
"Not too long, but long enough for me to know that i love him and want to be with him..."  
  
"No matter what?" James knew where her heart lay, he could always tell when she liked someone.  
  
"No matter what." Piper concluded.  
  
"Aww. He's a great guy, i know he'll be good for you."  
  
"Thanks Jame..hey, how do you know that?" Piper asked as she sat down next to him.  
  
"Because i'm your best friend...and also because i met him after i left Tari."  
  
"Two years ago in San Diego. So, you really have your liscense then?"  
  
"Sure do, just like he got his. I passed but i never needed to get it in the first place."  
  
"But you did because you've always loved flying, ever since you saw a plane fly past when we   
  
were like five years old playing kiss chasey outside your house." Piper remembered.  
  
"Yeah, i can't believe you still remember that Piper."  
  
"Of course i do James." Piper said and giggled. "Hey, can i ask you something?"  
  
"Do you even have to ask me that question?" James smiled back. "Ask away."  
  
"It's about Leo, Leo and i. Last night he asked me to move in with him and i want to do it..."  
  
"So why don't you?" James thought about why Piper was hesitating. "Ohh, you didn't say yes because  
  
of your Charmed duties right? Piper, i'm so sorry."  
  
"I am too. I want to be with him so much, and i know this whole Charmed gig is larger than life,   
  
but life wouldn't be right without being with Leo, James."  
  
James put Piper's hands in his. "Follow your heart Piper. Being a Charmed One is so important but  
  
having the love of your life is so precious to have. You even said it to me after your sisters   
  
left this morning that you haven't had any attacks for a while, not even from that Alec warlock.   
  
That is a dangerous thing to have looming over your heads but your also dangerously in love. Go  
  
be with Leo, Piper. Work out a way to have him and your Charmed life."  
  
Piper was so touched by his words. She squeezed James' hands tighter. "You have no idea how  
  
happy i am to have you back i my life James. But i also have no idea how to work out my issues.  
  
I could move in with Leo, it's not that far away from here.....but my Charmed instincts are   
  
telling me that what if there's an attack? I wouldn't be able to get to my sisters in time to   
  
help them..." She looked down.  
  
James took one hand away from her grasp and cupped her cheek so she could look him in the eye.  
  
"You and your sisters are always apart in case you haven't noticed. You gals always go out or go  
  
to work and then you come back together when you need to...i know you have to tell your sisters  
  
first, but don't worry. Leo is not going to leave you just because he has to wait a while before  
  
you two can live together, it's not like it was a marriage proposal or anything."  
  
"You're right. Leo wont leave me just because he has to wait. Besides, he is still a flying doctor  
  
so he wouldn't be home all the time anyway." Piper finally smiled.  
  
"I'm going to quote your Grandmother and say that 'everything happens for a reason'."  
  
"You remember our Grams after all this time. She's been gone for over a decade."  
  
"Yeah but she was always happy to have me over here. She was great, and i know that whatever   
  
decision you make, she'll be proud of you. I am."  
  
"Aww James, you don't have t..."  
  
"Don't be modest, and give me a hug." Piper hugged her James and they fell asleep.  
  
Prue and Bane had run into Phoebe and Paige, so they all walked home together. They entered the   
  
house and saw Piper and James asleep on each other's shoulders.  
  
"Awww how cute is this?" Phoebe said, searching for Prue's camera.  
  
"Are you sure Piper is in love with Leo and not James?" Bane asked. Paige wasn't impressed by his  
  
comment.  
  
"Don't worry about it, they're were ALWAYS like this. Anyways, i'm sure Piper would do anything  
  
for Leo Wyatt." Prue whispered in the doorway.  
  
Phoebe had found the camera and took a snapshot of the two friends. The flash had woken them up.  
  
"Agh!" Piper froze the room. James and Bane were still as statues.  
  
"A little bit jumpy are we sis?" Paige asked.  
  
"Sorry, the conversation we were having before got me like this." Piper unfroze the room and the  
  
two men.  
  
"What kind of conversation?" Phoebe asked Piper. Prue and Paige looked at her too.  
  
"Bane, i think you and i should go have a drink outback." James said, winked at Piper and ushered  
  
Bane away, who was confused but followed.  
  
"So, James obviously knows something. Is it serious?" Prue asked and sat down. Paige and Phoebe  
  
followed suit.  
  
"Depends how you define serious."   
  
"Fine, umm..serious as in life or death, or serious as in commitment, or serious as in it's so  
  
crazy that there's no other word for it?" Phoebe gave out the options.  
  
"Uh, i don't know if it entirely fits into those categories, well maybe a little.."  
  
"Piper!" Paige butted in.  
  
"Yeah yeah, really long thought trails stay inside the head - got it."  
  
"So now we're just missing the actual point of the story." Prue added.  
  
"Okay, okay! Leo asked me to move in with him." She blurted out with big 'i love him so much that  
  
i have to do this' smile.  
  
"I think this falls into all three categories of serious." Phoebe put in.  
  
"That's great!"  
  
"Really Paige?"  
  
"Yeah..if we weren't witches."  
  
"Of course." Piper said glumly. She looked over at Prue who had yet to say anything. Piper braced  
  
herself incase all hell broke loose.  
  
"It is great." Prue finally spoke. The other sisters were gobsmacked. "I just wish there was a way  
  
for you to get to us quickly if we get in any kind of trouble."  
  
*I was waiting for her to say that..only louder* Piper thought.  
  
"I could orb her if she calls." Paige said, she thought if Piper was seriously thinking about this  
  
then she didn't have any romantic interest in James.  
  
"Yeah, but you can't always control that Paige, and what if we're in a situation where you can't."  
  
Phoebe said reluctantly. "I'm sorry Piper, i really want you to have what you want, i just don't  
  
know if we can right now."  
  
"You do realise that this is my soulmate we're talking about here?" Piper said. "I should follow  
  
my heart," she thought of James' words, "and my heart is telling me to go with Leo."  
  
Paige and Phoebe didn't speak. They both knew what it was like to be so in love and not wanting  
  
to let it go.  
  
"Piper, i want you to be with Leo just like i want to be with Bane. But at the moment we still  
  
haven't dealt with Alec. We just need some time to figure out how to work around it. I really  
  
do want things to work out for you Piper, but my gut is telling me that Alec is going to strike  
  
any day now." Prue said as best she could.  
  
"So that's why you've been going out to town nearly every day and letting the rest of us to go  
  
do what we want." Piper got up. "Fine. I'm not going to argue, but i WILL be with him soon, no   
  
matter what." and with that, Piper left and went outside with the guys. The only thing holding  
  
Piper back from Leo was the instinct that she shared with prue and her other sisters - Alec was  
  
going to come back soon, they could sense it. Piper didn't want Leo to be involved in anything  
  
that could harm him. 


	24. Do you got a spell?

Chapter 24 - "Do you got a spell?"  
  
"Where's Bane?" Phoebe asked Prue the next morning.  
  
"Oh, he went to do the grocery shopping - bless him." Prue said with a contented smile.  
  
"Wow, you've really worked your charms on him haven't you." Phoebe grinned back.  
  
"Prue charmed someone? I thought she learnt from the backfired spell a while ago?" Paige   
  
asked and wondered in.  
  
"Um Paige, one - i'm right here and two - i didn't use magic, Phoebe was referring to Bane.  
  
He's out getting the..."  
  
"Milk?" Paige butted in.  
  
"Yep." chimed Phoebe. "Ok, another question, where's Piper? i didn't see her this morning."  
  
"I don't know. My guess is that she's pissed off and went somewhere to think." said Prue.  
  
"Maybe, she didn't seem too pissed last night though. I know she wants to be with Leo and i hope   
  
she does later, but something tells me that she knows we were right about Alec....who has still   
  
yet to show." Paige was slowly getting edgier about the Warlock.  
  
"Yeah, the thought of him keeps messing with my mind. Especially the fact that he was my  
  
ex-friend's brother. I wish he would just show up so we could get it over with." Phoebe said.  
  
"I know. Evil is usually so impatient that they attack first, think second. We also haven't   
  
been attacked by any other type of evil lately..he must be holding them back somehow."  
  
"God i hope he isn't rounding them up and making them into his minions." Phoebe said after Prue.  
  
"That would be really bad. I don't think him being a Warlock is going to make him into this big   
  
Evil leader though, i think we're safe from him getting a place in the demonic hier archy." Paige  
  
said and finished her coffee.  
  
"I think y'all should stop talking and start vanquishing." said Bane demandingly, crashing  
  
through the door and plonking the groceries on the kitchen table.  
  
"What do you mean? Were you attacked??" Prue asked concerningly and rushed up to his side.  
  
"No i wasn't attacked, i'm fine. It's just when i went into town today, everyone was acting   
  
strange like they were when he was around before. I think the sooner you get rid of him, the   
  
better. Do you got a spell?" Bane asked.  
  
"We were just going to use the 'power of three' spell on him." said Phoebe. "But Piper isn't here  
  
and we'd need to find a strong enough summoning spell for him too."  
  
"I can sense Piper, should i go get her?" asked Paige.  
  
"Yes, i don't want her to get hurt like she did last time they met. Go." Bane ordered.  
  
Paige orbed out.   
  
[Time lapse]  
  
Paige had just orbed back in with Piper. "I think we need to make a potion and maybe write another  
  
spell, just for back up. The power of three doesn't always work."  
  
"Yeah Piper. We have the summoning one done. I just wish we knew more about him. It would make all  
  
this so much easier." Prue uttered.  
  
"Mm-hmm and i'll get started on the potion, Bane do you know anything else about him that we   
  
should know?" she asked and headed for the herb cupboard.  
  
"No, sorry."  
  
"Uh, were out of the basic herbs. I can't believe we didn't stock up!" Piper was peeved.  
  
"It's okay. I got replacements when i went to the store this morning. I forgot to unpack the  
  
bag i dropped in the living room as i came before. I'll go get it." he said, and left the room.  
  
"Hey i got an idea, Phoebe?"  
  
"Yeah Paige?"  
  
"Alec was Kaleb's brother, so maybe you'd know something about them that we could use against him.  
  
Any thoughts?"  
  
"Um..well i didn't know Alec at all, i barely heard things about him. Let me think, i hope i can   
  
come up with something." Phoebe went and sat down on a chair in the backyard with a note pad. It   
  
helped her to think better if she had something to scribble on.  
  
Prue and Paige searched the book yet again to see if they had missed anything before about  
  
Warlocks that had power over humans, they also checked again in hope that one of their   
  
ancestors would leave some new help pages for them to use. Piper and Bane were cooking in the   
  
kitchen.  
  
"Are you okay Piper?"   
  
"I'm fine Bane. I just can't wait for this to be over, all of it."  
  
"All of it - what do you mean by that?"  
  
"It's nothing...no, actually it's more than that. I'm crazy in love with Leo and i can't   
  
concentrate on anything since we were together at his place. This would be a good thing, if only  
  
it were at some other time where we didn't have to deal with the demonic species and could just  
  
relax and live out our lives happy and in love." Piper added some herbs to the potion that   
  
stopped Warlocks blinking, it started to bubble.  
  
"Oh if only a future like that existed" Bane wished.   
  
"Who says it can't?" Piper stopped working and looked at him.  
  
James arrived and entered the room, he had been out posting a letter to his friend. "I don't. I  
  
believe everything will work out for the best, especially for the best woman in the world." He  
  
hugged Piper when he said that and turned her around to start working on the potion again.  
  
"I love how you say things without actually focusing on hard facts, that way you can never be   
  
too wrong." Piper smiled and added another ingredient to the popping potion.  
  
*They're so close. They seem so perfect with how the other one is. It's a wonder how they aren't   
  
in love.* Bane was thinking over. Piper had two great relationships and was so lucky to have both  
  
men in her life. 


	25. I also came to give her well all of

Chapter 25 - "I also came to give her..well all of you a message."  
  
Phoebe couldn't think of anything about Alec that could help her write the vanquishing spell.   
  
"I'm not getting anywhere, dammit." Phoebe said to herself. Prue and paige could hear her   
  
muttering from the shed. They hadn't had any luck with the B.O.S either. They joined Phoebe  
  
out on the deckchairs.  
  
"I'm starting to think..."  
  
"Wow Paige, you can think?" Phoebe joked at Paige, Paige wasn't laughing. "Sorry, i'm just pissed  
  
off, i should have something by now. Oh, go ahead."  
  
"As i was saying, i'm starting to think that all we need is the 'power of three spell'. We aren't  
  
getting hints from any past Halliwells and we have bugger all info. I say we just summon, throw   
  
potion at his head and send him to bed."   
  
"Nah, i think i'd rather send him to hell." Prue joked, this time Paige laughed. Phoebe agreed.  
  
The three sisters headed inside and into the kitchen. They came to find muck everywhere, even on   
  
the cooks.   
  
"What happened in here?" Phoebe asked and stood back so she wouldn't get stuff on her.  
  
"It was watermelon." Piper told.  
  
"Watermelon again?! Honey we told you before, if you don't like the fruit don't vanquish it just   
  
leave it alone - it's defenceless." said Prue with a 'slightly psycho' grin.  
  
"I didn't vanquish watermelon again! James did." Piper told after laughing at her sister's   
  
crazy face.  
  
"James has powers? You have powers?" Paige asked and stepped forward in anticipation of what she   
  
might hear next..but she stepped in something gooey. *Oghrr not again!*  
  
"No i don't have powers. I grabbed some watermelon out of the fridge and cut it up. Then i went   
  
to hand Bane a slice when it slipped out of our hands and into the potion." he told.  
  
"The watermelon didn't mix with the potion too well and it exploded on everything." James said   
  
and teased Paige with his eyes about her shoes.  
  
"Including us." Piper added, wiping watermelon pieces off her chest.  
  
  
  
There was a short silence. "This might sound weird but i think that - in a weird sort of way -   
  
that the potion exploding before it reached the desired target Alec was a sign that we don't   
  
need a potion to kill him. Alls we need is the power of three..well technically four."  
  
"I think Prue's right. I couldn't get anything when i tried to write an extra spell." Phoebe   
  
added.  
  
"Then what's that on your note pad?" Paige ignored James' cute face and looked at the piece of   
  
paper.  
  
"Uh, that just said 'We gotta vanquish this evil guy, cause he put a hole in Piper's thigh' "  
  
Everyone grunted at Phoebe's lack-there-of-spell.  
  
"Yeah that's a real mature spell that surely would get the job done, i can feel it!" Piper  
  
sarcastically remarked and shot the evils at Pheebs.  
  
"I told you i couldn't write the spell." Phoebe felt so stupid but laughed anyway.   
  
"You really think the Po3 spell is all we need?" Piper had a bad feeling about it.  
  
"Yes." Prue answered back, Phoebe and Paige nodded their heads too.   
  
"I REALLY want to kill that guy, but i dunno, something is now telling me that we'll need more   
  
than chanting the same eight words over and over." Piper felt torn for some reason.  
  
"I..we feel so confident about this. This feels right, for us anyway."  
  
"Are you going to do it then?" Bane furrowed his brow.  
  
"We should. Although we all gotta be giving 100% if we want to really get the job done. If Piper   
  
doesn't feel right about doing this now maybe..." Phoebe was interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
"I hope that's not him..unless he's learned some manners while he was away and now knows how to   
  
knock." Paige said. James looked at her. "You're right, that wouldn't matter."  
  
Prue, Piper and Phoebe went to turn the door handle.  
  
"It's me Cole!" Cole yelled from outside, the three girls nearly jumped out of their skins.  
  
Phoebe opened the door. "Hey Cole, i wasn't expecting you back so soon...um, this is not really   
  
a good time, can we catch up later?"  
  
"Not a good time? Ohh. Well i can wait out here until you're done." He suggested.  
  
Pure and Piper whispered under their breaths to Phoebe. "Uh, Cole i think this might take a while.  
  
If you could see me later. I'll call you." Phoebe went to shut the door.  
  
Cole put his hand in the way to stop it. "Phoebe wait! I came here to see you..."  
  
"Yeah okay, well you've seen her. Now you go..go on, go." Piper patronised him.  
  
"I also came to give her..well all of you a message."  
  
"Huh? Make it fast." Prue ordered.  
  
"It's from the guy that called me the other day Phoebe. He asked me to come down and see him, but  
  
when he told me i had to leave."  
  
"And what he told you was..." Paige had stuck her head in the doorway to see what the hold up was.  
  
"Hi Paige. Um, he told me that you lot were..witches, evil witches. I didn't believe him and went  
  
to come back home. He said he needed something from you, i think he wanted a book or something   
  
then he went on about powers..he really creeped me out."  
  
Prue stared Cole in the eyes. "What was his name Cole?"  
  
"Alec."  
  
Prue slammed the door in Cole's face.  
  
"Uh Prue, what are you doing? If Cole pissed Alec off by not believing him, he probably needs   
  
protection, we gotta get him inside!" Phoebe protested.  
  
"What was Cole doing talking to Alec in the first place Phoebe?" Paige asked.  
  
"I'm not sure..actually he told me that he had to go meet a friend..." Phoebe trailed off. "But   
  
that doesn't make him evil. Alec probably used Cole to get to me maybe."  
  
*Why does my sister have to be a demon magnet?!* thought Piper.  
  
"Pheebs..maybe Cole is a Warlock too working with Alec." Prue reluctantly suggested.  
  
"No, i'm sure he isn't. You can even do the blood test on him if you want to, just let him inside."  
  
Phoebe pleaded. Prue hesitated for a second.  
  
"I don't think Cole is evil either Prue. I've met with him a few times and never got a bad  
  
feeling from him. We should let him in." Paige pleaded too.  
  
"Piper?"  
  
"Yeah, let him in." Piper told Prue. Piper figured if Cole knew their secret, it would be easier   
  
to tell Leo after she vanquished Alec. *Now i want to vanquish him?? What the hell is up with my   
  
instincts?!* Piper was getting more and more confused about what she felt.  
  
Phoebe approached the door. "Cole, you can come..." she opened the door, "in. Where'd he go?"  
  
Phoebe looked around but Cole was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm,   
  
she swung around and smacked him in the stomach with a punch.  
  
"Ph...ohhh. It's me..wow, you have one hell of a swing." Cole was holding his stomach.  
  
"Oh Cole! I'm so sorry, i was just not expecting that. Come in." Phoebe went to help him in but   
  
he brushed away her hand. He was doing the 'macho' thing by not needing her help. Cole sat down   
  
on the couch, facing the girls.  
  
"Okay..are you okay?" Prue was going to ask him something but noticed his face.  
  
"Yeah, i was just caught off-guard is all." he looked at Phoebe and then back to Prue.  
  
"Okay so, what else do you know about Alec, Cole?"  
  
"Not too much. I was introduced to him by one of my clients."  
  
"What were you helping your client with, a ticket for shapeshifting in the non-shapeshifting   
  
zone?" Piper tried to ignore her thoughts by firing away with her perfectly timed sarcasm.  
  
"Shapesh..wha?" Cole was confused.  
  
"Never mind." Phoebe said and smiled.  
  
"Yeahhh, my good friend Andy asked me if i could help his new friend Alec. I didn't really think  
  
much of it at the time, but Andy had been acting a little strange lately. Alec never creeped me  
  
out before until he called me to him the other day. He seemed normal enough before..it's like i  
  
trusted him as soon as i heard his name." Cole only realised this now, after he had been away  
  
from Alec's presence.  
  
"Well you are mortal and Alec has a hold over mortals, so it makes sense that you and your pal  
  
would trust him." Bane said.  
  
"How come he doesn't affect you?" Cole asked. *Is Bane magical too, how did i miss that earlier?*  
  
"..My parents worked bad magic, they also worked with Warlocks a lot. Because i was the child of   
  
my parents, i automatically became respected and trusted by those they worked with."  
  
"Not any more." Prue added. She knew Bane was untusted by the Warlocks, so he really had to be  
  
careful these days, she had to protect him.  
  
"Not to sound rude, but that didn't really answer my question."   
  
"I didn't did i? My parents, when they were getting really good with Charms, cast one on me so  
  
that i wouldn't be on the Warlocks radar as a mortal or enemy. That way if a deal of theirs went   
  
bad, i wouldn't get hurt. I'm still surprised that it's still protecting me after all these years."  
  
"Yeah me too, that must've been one hell of a charm. Maybe one day i can work out how they did it  
  
and make some similar ones for ourselves." Piper said.   
  
The longer the conversation went on, Piper wished and wished that she could be rid of all things  
  
evil and hoped that she could be with her Leo, who she hadn't seen or heard of in two days. Prue  
  
was itching for a vanquish, she was so confident. Paige thought she could take on a damn Warlock,   
  
Demons were always worse so Alec should be a piece of cake. Yeah he had holds on humans, but the  
  
Halliwells weren't exaclty human are they. Phoebe wanted to kill him, kill him because she felt  
  
that Alec had cursed his brother and her friend Kaleb with evil. She was now really starting to  
  
regret having not helped him weeks and weeks ago when he pleaded for her help. She also wanted   
  
him dead so he wouldn't be a threat to Bane, Leo, James and especially Cole. 


	26. What's done is done I win

Chapter 26 - "What's done is done. I win."   
  
Most of the Halliwell sisters had agreed to do the vanquish tonight, and had to get Cole, Bane  
  
and James out of the house and away from the action. They couldn't risk them getting killed.  
  
"I was just thinking, if Cole would trust Alec and do whatever for him just by hearing his name,   
  
that could happen to everybody else in the town. He could turn them on us - we'd have no chance."  
  
Piper fretted.   
  
An average mortal couldn't have fought off Alec's lure. The only reason Cole managed to get a   
  
bad vibe off of him was because Alec wanted him to feel that way. He wanted the Halliwells to   
  
get scared of Alec and what he might be able to do to them, or to anyone else for that matter.  
  
"I never really thought about that before. Woah i hope he deosn't do that. I think it'll be okay  
  
Piper, i don't think that he would do it, even if he thought about it."  
  
"What makes you think that?" Piper asked.  
  
"Well he has too much pride, i bet he doesn't think he'd need a whole town of people to help him  
  
just to kill you four." Bane told.  
  
"I hope you're right. I'd even spread magic all over town to protect the people and ourselves if  
  
i knew how to." Piper was getting edgier by the second. Her instincts were facing off. She still  
  
had no clue why she felt that was and it was driving her crazy.  
  
"I would too. But Piper, you gotta calm down. Everything will be fine. I've never seen you this  
  
jumpy before. What's going on?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I don't know. One side of me is saying, vanquishing Alec like this shouldn't be done and  
  
something will happen in the process and i know the thing that will happen will be bad, very   
  
bad and i know it will hurt. The other side of me is saying we have to vanquish him, and it has  
  
to play out like this - i think that side is my Charmed instincts there. ...i just don't trust  
  
them right now."  
  
"The Warlocks?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"No, my instincts. They're all out of control and i don't know why none of you are feeling it   
  
as well!" Piper yelled at her sisters. "I'm sorry." she apologised and got a glass of water.  
  
"It's okay sweetie. If it's any consolation, we are all feeling a bit iffy about it." Phoebe   
  
tried to make Piper know she wasn't the only one a tad concerned.  
  
"I am too. But my instincts right now are over-riding everything else i'm feeling. So i have to  
  
do it." Prue said.  
  
"I feel the same way." Paige agreed.  
  
Piper was outnumbered, she was so close to yelling at all of them, but one half of her was holding  
  
her back. She had no choice but to go along with it.  
  
[Time lapse]  
  
Paige orbed James, Bane and Cole to Piper's club to be safe. They had to stay put. While she did  
  
that, Prue, Phoebe and Piper got out the summoning spell and the things they needed: Mace for   
  
magical awareness and some Cleavers for Strong friendships/coven/family. Then they got out the   
  
candles: Black for banishing, Red for power, Silver for channeling and Blue for peace (this one  
  
for Kaleb). Once Cole and James were safe, Paige came back and held hands with her sisters around  
  
the candles and herbs.  
  
"Black, Silver, Blue, Red  
  
Bring us now, this Warlock dread  
  
Come to us, we summon thee  
  
Vanquish now by Power of Three  
  
We call on Alec, to relinquish his life  
  
We call on Alec, to be rid of this night."  
  
Nothing happened. "I don't understand, that spell should have worked." Prue was confused.  
  
"Try it again." said Phoebe. The sisters said the spell again, and a whirlwind appeared in the   
  
room. They were about to start chanting when Leo, Bane, Cole and James appeared.  
  
"What the hell..." Paige was now confused.  
  
"Leo!" Piper yelled out as the wind died down.  
  
"Piper." Leo said back.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know, i was hoping you could tell me." Leo had a blank stare.  
  
Piper loooked back at him, she was going to blurt out that she was a witch when she noticed Cole,   
  
Bane and James had the same look.  
  
The other sisters noticed that too. "Alec." Phoebe said.  
  
"He's here, but where?" asked Paige.  
  
The four guys yelled out "Halliwell!"  
  
"Ignore them, it's a distraction!" Prue yelled.  
  
The women heard clapping coming from the backyard. "You're not as stupid as i thought you were."  
  
Alec said from outside.  
  
The guys stood there motionless. The four sisters left them, and headed out back to kill Alec.  
  
"Any last words before you die Warlock?" Prue said in a confident tone.  
  
"I do have something to say, but these words will not be my last. You girls do not deserve to be  
  
witches, you don't have the skill, or power, or will. You need to hand over those powers so i   
  
can put them to good use...i think your men would do a better job than you have if i gave them  
  
the power of three." he said in a smart-alec [NO PUN INTENDED] tone.   
  
  
  
"How 'bout you shut up and learn what's good for you." Piper told him, with a deadly stare.  
  
"How 'bout you listen to your instincts already and forget about vanquishing me tonight." Alec  
  
said back, with an equally evil stare.  
  
"What's he talking about Piper?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"....The power of three will set us free." Piper started to chant.  
  
The other three sisters joined in and Alec started to get agitated. "Damn you stupid bitches!"  
  
"Keep going!" ordered Prue.  
  
"You think that spell alone will stop me?! Time for a reality check my girls." Alec spat. He made  
  
an energy ball appear in his hand and threw it at Phoebe. Phoebe levitated out of the way.  
  
Paige called for it. "Energy ball!" It came to her. "Who did you steal that power from?" she asked  
  
and then threw it back at him. It made contact with his body, but he didn't flinch.  
  
"No one, you naive child. That power given to me, by my brother."  
  
Phoebe came back onto the ground. "Kaleb never gave that power to you. He was an innocent mortal  
  
who you corrupted!" Phoebe yelled in anger and came at Alec. He and Phoebe fought but Phoebe was  
  
thrown to the ground and knocked out. Cole heard Phoebe's cries and snapped out of the trance.  
  
Paige orbed a real heavy pot plant at Alec, but he said something and latin and threw it back at   
  
her. Paige was knocked to the ground, along side Phoebe.  
  
"Asshole! Leave them alone, deal with me!" Prue flung her hand in the air to slam Alec into the   
  
shed but nothing happened.   
  
Piper continued to chant but stopped when she was bumped into by Cole. She knew he was trying to  
  
help Phoebe but she held him back. She let go of him and threw her hands in the air to freeze him,   
  
nothing happened.  
  
"What's going on with my telekinesis?" Prue wondered where the hell her power went.  
  
"I have it now, maybe you are as stupid as i thought." Alec beamed and went to use her power against  
  
her. Prue tried to Astral behind him - it worked. She was about to make contact with a kick when  
  
Alec used her power to throw her real body into the side of the house. She was now knocked out  
  
and her astral self disappeared into thin air.  
  
Piper couldn't believe it when Cole didn't freeze, she finally snapped out of it and looked over  
  
to Prue who was temporarily out of action.  
  
"Let me guess, you stole my power too?"  
  
"No i didn't Piper, you power just doesn't work on Cole."  
  
"What are you talking about? I've frozen him once before."  
  
"Then why isn't it working now? Because he's evil."  
  
"He is not!"  
  
"Ahh, you are the smartest of the bunch. You don't believe everything i say."  
  
"Of course i don't, and you should believe me when i say 'Blow this!" Piper blew Alec into pieces.  
  
*That's all i had to do?! Freekin' useless spell.* Piper looked at Cole, he was now frozen. "I  
  
knew he wasn't evil Alec, you were controlling him. Now who has the last laugh?" Piper yelled  
  
to the place where she blew him up. She laughed but was cut-off.  
  
"I do." Alec's body was rearranging itself in the spot where Piper thought he had died. Alec had  
  
a sinister grin on his face. One swing of his hand and Piper crashed through a window.  
  
"And they all fall down." Alec started to laugh. He walked inside the house and picked Piper up  
  
from all the shattered glass. She had a bad cut on her eyebrow which was sure to leave a small scar.  
  
He looked over at Leo and James, they were still out of it. He then carried Piper outside and lay  
  
her by her sisters. Then he searched for the Book of Shadows. He headed into Prue's room.  
  
James and Leo finally broke out of their trancy state and didn't know what was happening. James  
  
noticed the broken window and Leo ran outside, with James behind him. They saw the girls unconcious  
  
and Cole frozen. Cole unfroze when James and Leo placed their hands on his shoulders. The three of  
  
them tried to awaken the Halliwells.  
  
Alec re-entered the backyard and saw three guys. "WHERE'S THE BOOK?!" he yelled at them.  
  
"What book?!" Cole and Leo asked. James ignored Alec and kept trying to wake the girls up.  
  
"Useless mortals." Alec sniped. He noticed the shed, and went to go there. "The book can wait, i  
  
want you men to witness the death of your women."  
  
James had woken the Halliwells up. Alec threw a huge energy ball at them but the women dived out  
  
of the way just in time.  
  
The girls stood up, held hands and chanted again. "The power of three will set us free........"  
  
Alec's body started to go up in flames this time. "No. No! It's not possible!" he yelled in anguish.  
  
The sisters kept chanting. He couldn't hurt them now, the spell was protecting them, they were fully  
  
focused on bringing to him what should've come to him a long time ago.  
  
Alec couldn't believe he was failing, he didn't want to go out without a fight. He saw the man  
  
in closest range to him and fired the biggest energy ball he could make with the power he had left.  
  
The ball was heading straight for Cole, Phoebe saw and almost broke the chant off to save him, but  
  
she didn't move, they were too close to winning to stop now.  
  
Cole was about to die...then Leo, as fast as lightning jumped in front of him and pushed the other  
  
two guys out of the way as well. Cole was saved, but Leo....his body had vanished and all that was  
  
left was a giant scorch mark on the pavement. Piper saw the whole thing, and immendiately let go  
  
of her sisters hands. She ran over to where Leo was a second ago and her eyes welled up with tears,   
  
she was about to collapse on the spot when Bane came out from the house and caught her.  
  
"Piper!" called out Phoebe, Prue and Paige. "Finish this!!" They kept chanting but the flames on   
  
Alec were dying down.   
  
Finally all the flames that were consuming the Warlock's body had vanished, just like Leo did.   
  
"What's done is done. I win."   
  
All of their hearts were racing, and were all filled with hatred, fear and sadness.  
  
"Keep chanting, keep going!" Bane yelled to the three. He picked Piper up and dragged her to her  
  
sisters. He looked her in the eye and said, "You ARE going to vanquish him, do you understand?  
  
Do it for Leo, do it for us, just god damn do it and do it now!"  
  
Piper didn't have the strength, or the will. But Bane's words made her so angry that she froze him  
  
and blew up Alec for the second time. Piper's eyes were filled with fire and she grabbed her sister's  
  
hands so tight that it hurt them. They just had to put up with the pain and join her in the vanquish.  
  
Alec was regenerating, and finally came back into view. The Halliwells were saying the verse for  
  
the eighth time at this moment. Alec was now visible. "THE POWER OF THREE WILL SET US FREE!" Alec  
  
was in a pool of fire. Bane opened his hand and revealed a potion he was making earlier when  
  
Cole was outside and Leo and James were not responding to anything. He threw it at Alec and there  
  
was a huge explosion, luckily they didn't live near anyone or else there would have been a lot of  
  
questions to answer. Cole and James looked on. Alec was finally sent to hell where he belonged. 


	27. I wish you were here now, i wish i could...

Chapter 27 - "I wish you were here now, i wish i could've spent my life with you."  
  
The four sisters let go of each other's hands. Prue and Phoebe had marks where Piper's nails dug   
  
in, Paige had a massive headache from the heavy pot plant and Piper's left eyebrow had stopped  
  
bleeding. Cole and James were a little shaken from the vanquish. Everyone was looking over where  
  
Leo once stood. Bane went to hold Piper but she brushed him off. She fell to her knees over the  
  
scorch mark. No one knew what to do, or what to say.   
  
Piper's body was shaking violently and she was crying so hard, her tears were falling on the scorch  
  
and fading it away. "I can't..Why? This was not supposed to happen. He was my soulmate!! How could  
  
he just be taken away like that?.....We could have been together.." Piper looked over at Cole, "Ogh,   
  
none of this would have happened if you had just stood back like Leo and James!" Then Piper looked  
  
at Bane, "And you! maybe this is your fault too! Alec was after you, you led him here! If you had  
  
just not entered our city Tari Alec couldn't have killed....L" Piper took a huge sobbing breath. She  
  
looked back at Cole, "You bastard, if you hadn't tried to seduce my little sister she wouldn't have  
  
gotten to know you and you wouldn't be here tonight!" Prue, Phoebe and Paige wanted to tell Piper   
  
she was wrong but they couldn't, they had to let her let loose. The three of them knew it was no   
  
one's fault except Alec's but they weren't going to yell and make their sister feel worse than she   
  
already did. They regretted that what happened did.   
  
"LEO!" Piper cried out, looking up to the stars, the stars which Leo had once compared to her eyes,  
  
"I am so sorry, things shouldn't have turned out this way...if i had only just accepted your offer  
  
to live together, i would be with you right now. I'm so sorry," Piper had her hands touching the   
  
mark on the ground and she was still looking up, "I wish you were here now, i wish i could've spent   
  
my life with you. I love you Leo, i always will."  
  
(Four days later)  
  
The mood in the Halliwell house was somber and lamentful. Piper was in her room, she hadn't come  
  
out to talk to her sisters or anyone else. The others tried to coach her out, make her feel better  
  
but all their offers were ignored.  
  
"I can't take this anymore." Paige felt such guilt for Leo's passing. "Piper is so upset and i can  
  
feel it. I don't know why none of you are showing it. I feel like crying everytime i pass Piper's  
  
bedroom." Paige admitted.  
  
"Paige. We do feel it, and we're sorry for what happened with all our hearts. It's just we have to   
  
stay strong in case Piper does come out here and needs comfort or a shoulder to cry on." Prue told.  
  
"No, i think she prefers to cry on her pillow." Phoebe said.  
  
"Was that a joke? How can you be joking about this?!" Paige shot at Phoebe.  
  
"It wasn't a joke Paige. What i meant was that i think she feels more connected in there. That is  
  
after all the place where Piper and Leo spent intimate time together."  
  
Paige realised what Phoebe meant now, "Oh, sorry i misunderstood."  
  
"I am upset for her, for Leo...but also for Cole. Piper went and totally blamed him for Leo's death.  
  
I know she was emotionally confused, and maybe she didn't mean it, but Cole doesn't know that. He  
  
hasn't answered any of my phone calls and everytime i went to his apartment, the super said he wasn't  
  
availiable. I don't know if he feels terrible or if he's really angry at Piper. I can't get to him  
  
because of her." Phoebe broke eye contact with Paige and looked at Prue.  
  
"Are you blaming Piper for Cole not talking to you? God Phoebe, have some friken sympathy! Come  
  
on Prue, help me out here." Paige now looked at Prue too.  
  
Prue hesitated for a bit before she answered. "I know what Phoebe is saying may sound calice, but  
  
she's just concerned about Cole - who is a mortal and has to get his head around what he's just   
  
found out about us and seen recently. I am not bad mouthing Piper when i say this either but i do  
  
feel some concern for Bane too. After all, Piper did yell at him. She didn't mean it and i'm not  
  
holding it against her, it's just if you think about what she said, well there may have been some  
  
degree of truth to it. The guilt must be playing on his conscience right now. I know it would be  
  
on my mind if i was in his shoes." Prue had finished and gave Paige a mournful look.  
  
"Yeah i'm sorry. I never thought of it that way, i don't have a guy to worry about because of this."  
  
"Don't you like James, Paige?"  
  
"I thought i did, and don't get me wrong - he IS an awesome guy but i think we'd get along so much  
  
better as friends. That's what he is to us Halliwells, the best friend we have."  
  
"Speaking of J, he's not holding up so well either. I know what it's like to see a friend in pain  
  
and not be able to do anything about it." Phoebe said.  
  
"I tried talking to him this morning. He swears he's okay, but i know this what Piper is going through  
  
is eating him up inside. He has so much heart and soul, that guy. I think we should give him some  
  
company. He's out back." Prue pointed to the back door.  
  
"Yeah i know where he is, he's out there all the time lately." Paige followed.  
  
(Backyard)  
  
"Hey." Phoebe said and sat next to him. Prue and Paige pulled up deckchairs and surrounded him.  
  
".....Hi." He looked away and sighed. Then he looked back at them, "I know, i know, i shouldn't  
  
be moping around like this. It's just i hate seeing Piper in so much hurt, i always have. Has she  
  
come out yet?"  
  
"No. Not yet. I'm..well i think we all are tempted to walk in her room and just hold her and tell  
  
her that it's all going to be alright. ...Truth is, she might blow us to pieces. Her powers always  
  
go out of control when she's emotional. That, and i don't think she could handle another loss."  
  
said Paige.  
  
"None of us could." Prue added.  
  
There was a long silence. If only they could bring Leo back, turn back time. Everything would be fine.  
  
"Dammit!" Paige suddenly yelled out. The others jumped. *Why did Alec have to be so powerful? He  
  
was a freeking Warlock, Warlocks aren't supposed to win.* No one said anything but they all knew,   
  
even James did and he wasn't even a Halliwell. 


	28. Stay away from me

Chapter 28 - "Stay away from me."  
  
The next morning James woke up, he had snapped out of a dream and was sweaty in the face. *Maybe i  
  
dreamt that Leo died.* He looked in the mirror and heard the sisters talking in the kitchen. *Yeah,   
  
it was a nightmare. I never lost my friend and Piper never lost her lover. Oh no, that means Alec is  
  
still around.* James got up and went to the bathroom. He stared in the mirror before washing his   
  
face. James was coming fown the hallway when he bumped into Piper. "Piper!" James was happy to see  
  
her. She looked great, James seriously thought his nightmare wasn't real.  
  
Piper hugged him. James noticed that they had stood there for three minutes now and not a thing had  
  
been said. His face dropped, it wasn't a dream after all, he could feel her hurt.  
  
Piper finally let go of him and looked him in the eye. She forced a smile and headed to the kitchen.  
  
James followed her there.   
  
Phoebe and Paige were still in their pyjamas but Prue was almost ready to go to work. They noticed  
  
their sister comes towards them. They called out her name softly. Piper just nodded and made a bee-line  
  
for the fridge.  
  
"You ready to go to work Prue?" Bane stepped inside the house and saw Piper. Piper stood at the fridge.  
  
"Uh, maybe." This was the first time Piper had stepped out in days, she didn't know if she should  
  
stay home with her sister. "Piper?"   
  
Piper looked over at Bane and Prue, she waved her hand as a signal to go. Then she looked back in  
  
tthe fridge and smiled. Prue found it a little strange.  
  
"Ookay. I guess we're going. Bye guys ..see you tonight Piper." Prue waited for an answer but she  
  
didn't get one. Bane and Prue made their way out.  
  
Piper had made her breakfast and was deciding where to sit. James, Phoebe and Paige were at the table.  
  
Piper walked out the front door and sat on the porch.   
  
"What kinda state of mind do you think she's in?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Not a good one at all. At least she's not crying." Paige replied.  
  
"I hope she's not surpressing her emotions. She can talk to us, any of us." said James.  
  
"No, i don't think she's surpressing them - otherwise she wouldn't have been crying for the last  
  
four days. Hmm.." Phoebe thought about something.  
  
"What is it that's making you 'hmm'?" Paige asked.  
  
"Well, she's been pouring her fragile heart out but not one single explosion. By rights her powers  
  
should be on the fritz."   
  
"Well lets thank god that she hasn't blown up the house." concluded James.   
  
Outside, Piper was eating her food, slowly. She was looking around when these bright yellow lights  
  
were hovering in front of her, like the ones that show when Grams pays a visit. Piper stopped  
  
eating and watched, was Grams here? The lights started to move to the side of the house. Piper  
  
followed them without any thought. They lead her around the house and to the backyard.  
  
Phoebe, Paige and James saw Piper go past the front window and then saw her through the back window,   
  
that had yet to be fixed. They noticed the yellow light, and then it disappeared.  
  
Piper realised where she was standing, right on the spot she had lost her love a few nights back.  
  
She knew the spirits were bringing her back to her place of pain. She had to deal with it, otherwise  
  
she or her sisters would never get on with their lives.   
  
The broken-hearted woman just stood there for a minute, her sisters and friend watched on. Piper  
  
let out a loud cry of pain and held her head in her hands. She could bearly stand up but she felt  
  
something stopping her falling - it was anger, anger that her soulmate was taken away. Piper raised  
  
her hands and blew up the already shattered pot plant. She eyed the oldest deakchair and blew that   
  
up too. Piper killed the clothe's line and then took out the wall facing her from the extra room  
  
which contained the stainless steel bench. Paige, Phoebe and James were scared, yeah Piper could blow  
  
up as many pot plants as she wanted but taking out a whole wall was going a bit too far. Piper turned  
  
and faced the shed, the shed which contained the Book Of Shadows. She had her hands in fists and was  
  
about to extend her fingers when two of her sisters ran outside and yelled her name.  
  
"Piper!" "You got to stop now, if you want, you can kill as many shrubs as you want but leave the   
  
shed alone." Phoebe told her.  
  
Piper ignored her, then Paige butted in. "Piper, you can't blow that up, all our stuff is in there  
  
plus one more thing, The Book of Shadow - THE most important thing to our family. You can't go and  
  
destroy that Piper, no matter what you're feeling."  
  
Piper put her hands down. Her eyes filled with tears and then she faced them. She raised her hands.  
  
"Piper what are you doing?!" James yelled out, he approached her.  
  
"Stay away from me." Piper demanded.  
  
"Piper don't do this. You love your sisters, i love your sisters...i love you. Don't do this, please."  
  
James's plea hadn't quite registered in Piper's mind. She hesitated and then opened her hands up.  
  
She had killed the ones she loved.....  
  
[MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA _ I'M EVIL] 


	29. Confusion is confusing

Chapter 29 - *confusion is..confusing.*  
  
Piper had killed the vines she loved that hung outside her bedroom wall. They went up in flames.  
  
Everyone was relived, they almost thought they were going to die. Piper's mind was racing but she  
  
couldn't move or speak, the hatred was consuming her. All she could do was cry.  
  
James, Paige and Phoebe ran to Piper and hugged her. Her breathing was scattered. The love that had  
  
surrounded her washed away the hate, she didn't feel hot anymore, the cool love she felt helped her  
  
with that.  
  
(Time lapse)  
  
Phoebe and Paige had spent the whole day with Piper, just comforting her and holding her. Piper  
  
couldn't say anything, she didn't have the strength to...but she had the love to say that she loved  
  
her Leo. James was still amazed at what he had admitted earlier, although no one else had really   
  
noticed or remembered it. He was shocked, he knew he loved Piper but he didn't realise what kind  
  
of love it was until he was facing death - by her ironically. He was trying to think if what he  
  
was feeling was real or if it was just messed up emotions in an insane situation.  
  
Prue had arrived that late afternoon. Bane was staying at a motel overnight, he thought it would be   
  
best if Piper could spend some time with just family. Phoebe and Paige had filled Prue in on the day's  
  
events. It shocked Prue, but she did believe it because when you lose someone your emotions and  
  
actions can surpirse you.  
  
Later that night, Piper was still a train wreck. She hadn't eaten and hardly spoken. The others  
  
cooked for her and give Piper time off. They had to do all their own cooking while Piper was out  
  
of action, suprisingly it was paying off and the could now cook things that were actually edible.  
  
They all sat at the table and offered her food. She didn't want to but she was starving. Piper  
  
had calmed down now, but the others weren't going to push her to do anything. James was stitting  
  
opposite to Piper, he couldn't help but look at her, and into her eyes when she drank some water.  
  
He was trying to see if he really felt love for her. Piper was a stunning woman: great hair, great   
  
legs, great ass, great personality. The more James looked at her, the more he thought he wanted her.  
  
*What am i thinking?? She's my best friend for cryin' out loud. Just because she's hot doesn't  
  
mean i have to like her...although i haven't kissed a girl for a while now. Aghh. Confusion is..   
  
confusing.*   
  
The room was silent for a second, then they all shielded their eyes. A bright light was eminating  
  
from the shed outside. It went out and they could see again.   
  
"What the hell was that?" Paige asked, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"I don't know, but i'm going to check it out. Anyone else coming?" Prue asked them all.  
  
"Yeah, just wait a sec so i can see." said Phoebe.  
  
"Yeah i'll come too." Paige second.  
  
Piper didn't seem to be moving so James offered to go too, he needed to be away from her. They  
  
were heading out the door and Piper got up and followed. Prue was pleased to see Piper getting  
  
involved in whatever they were about to find out.  
  
The shed door was wide open, and the Book of Shadows was sitting on it's pedestal open to a page  
  
instead of being hidden under the floorboards. They approached it and viewed the page.  
  
"Whitelighters." Prue read, "Angels, like Guardian's, who protect witches. Every witch, or family  
  
gets one, to watch over them, heal them whenever woudnded by an evil attack." Piper heard those  
  
words and ran outside into the cool night air. "Piper..."  
  
"Let her go Prue, keep reading." Phoebe insisted.  
  
"Okay um..Whitelighters have the abilty to orb away at the sight of danger or by way of getting  
  
around. They can also sense their charges when they call their name and are there to give guidance  
  
and support to their charge/s."   
  
Paige looked at the pictures below the writing. "They look human, i guess to blend in. And how come  
  
they can orb like me? Does this mean i'm a Whitelighter too?"  
  
"Wow, maybe. But you're a witch, how can you have Whitelighter powers? None of our parents were White-  
  
lighters, Dad was mortal and Mom was a witch." Phoebe had so many questions." How come you can't  
  
heal, and where the hell is our Whitelighter??"  
  
"What i want to know is why Mom or Grams never told us about them, why we had to find out from 'The   
  
powers that be.'" Prue couldn't believe they hadn't known about this before, they could have had  
  
a much easier magical road if they had a Whitelighter.  
  
"Maybe it was Mom or Grams that turned the pages just then." Phoebe said with a smile.  
  
"Grr, i wish it had the name of our Whitelighter...if we have one so we could call them like now and  
  
find out what the hell has been going on. You know, we might have been better prepared for Alec and   
  
Leo would..." Paige was cut off.  
  
"Still be alive." It was the first time James had spoken. He remembered hearing Grams saying something  
  
about Whitelighters when he was younger, but he couldn't recall when and why.   
  
Piper was outside seething at the thought of a Whiteligher. If they were supposed to protect us, then   
  
where the hell are they?! Leo would be alive! Cole would be dead, maybe Cole is Evil. I want him  
  
dead - so what if he's Phoebe's boyfriend? He hasn't contacted her since the fateful night, maybe   
  
he led Alec to them and then took off after he had made Leo look like he was saving him. After all, it  
  
would be really obvious if Cole just pushed Leo in the way of an energy ball!" Piper was yelling out  
  
loud to the rest of them, standing in front of the shed, eyes wide open with a deadly stare.  
  
"Piper, how can you say that?! Cole is innocent, and you shouldn't be contemplating killing innocents  
  
now should you! Phoebe was quick to stand up for him.  
  
"Alright, calm down you guys. Let's just work out what this whole Whitelighter discovery means okay?"  
  
Prue said in a calm tone.  
  
"Yeah, Whitelighters are the good guys, we just have to meet them." Paige added.  
  
"If they were here earlier Leo would still be alive!" Piper said with her hands on her hips and   
  
fury in her eyes.  
  
*Damn, she is SO sexy when she's angry!* James was getting excited. *Shit!* He couldn't let them  
  
know he was noticing Piper. *Control yourself James.* He looked away to get composed. *Yes! Oh thank  
  
god, i'm only sexually atrracted to Piper, that's all.* James smiled and his thoughts were finally   
  
clear. He knew Piper loved Leo, and he admired that, loving him even if he was gone. He was relieved  
  
and it would feel wrong to love a woman who was in love with another man. James loved Piper as a friend,   
  
nothing more, nothing less. That's how it always was, and always would be.  
  
"Piper, maybe Leo died for a reason, remember Grams and Mom used to tell us that?" Phoebe tried to  
  
knock some sense into her sister.  
  
"I can't believe you, Leo wasn't supposed to die." Piper wanted to freeze her sister to stop her   
  
saying these unthinkable things. "Maybe you wanted him dead too, you worked with Cole. How could you?!"  
  
"I wasn't working with Cole, Piper. He's not evil and neither am i. We're good, this is how good  
  
works whether you like it or not." Phoebe couldn't believe what she had just said in anger.  
  
"Well in that case, maybe i don't want to be good anymore." Piper looked up and then vanished in  
  
a cloud of purple smoke. 


	30. you're learning a lot, aren't you

Chapter 30 - "you're learning a lot, aren't you."  
  
"Hold up, what just happened?" James asked the sisters, "Where'd she go?" he was panicking. He hadn't  
  
seen Piper disappear like that before. "Did she get a new power?"  
  
"No James." Phoebe out her hands on her head. "She's turned to the dark side because of me."  
  
"You don't know that Pheebs, maybe James is right, she just got a new way of travelling." Paige tried  
  
to find a good explanation for this.  
  
"Stop kidding yourself." Phoebe snapped back. "Oghh, i'm sorry Paige, i didn't mean to say that or  
  
snap. I'm just frustrated and worried.  
  
Prue was standing there, trying to think. "Let's scry for her."  
  
"But she might be evil, Prue." Paige unwillingly admitted.  
  
"She may well be, but she only just did a minute ago, so we have a good chance at getting her back."  
  
"Okay, what are we waiting for?" Phoebe turned around and found the map and crystal. "Thank God she  
  
didn't blow this up." Phoebe commented as she swung the crystal over the map.  
  
"Don't you need something of Piper's to focus with to home in on her first?" James asked.  
  
"Wow James, you're learning a lot, aren't you." Paige complimented. "Maybe i'll go get one of her  
  
favourite plants.."  
  
"Yeah, if there are any left." Phoebe remembered how Piper practically demolished her garden.  
  
"I don't think we need something of Piper's. We are her family and friend," she looked at James then,   
  
"So we'll just focus on our relationship as a connection." Prue said, hoping it would work.  
  
They scryed for an hour and had no luck. Phoebe felt responsible for Piper leaving because of the way  
  
she spoke to her sister; Paige felt responsible because she didn't visit Piper once during those first  
  
four hard days after Leo's passing; Prue felt bad for not contacting Bane and Cole and trying to see  
  
if they could have changed the situation or help Piper understand and James thought he could have been   
  
there for his friend, instead of lusting after her and not being by her side when she needed it the most.  
  
[Time lapse]  
  
"This is rediculous, we can't get a read on her and it's been hours! She can't have up and left us!"  
  
Phoebe was panicking and was really tired.  
  
"It will be fine. You just need some sleep sweetie. We'll wake you if we find anything." Paige knew  
  
it would be best if Phoebe went to sleep rather than ad to everyone's worrying.   
  
Phoebe reluctantly got up and made her way to her room. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep  
  
with Piper missing but she had to try.  
  
James saw how Prue was using all her strength to focus on Piper. She was working herself too hard.  
  
Even though he wasn't magical, he knew scrying wasn't going to be the answer here. "Prue, Paige, she  
  
might turn up in the morning, maybe she's just having a let out, and will be back and she'll move on."  
  
"Thanks." Paige felt warm at the thought but there was deffiantely no guarantee that was going to happen.  
  
"Thanks? You're thanking him? James, you don't know what you're talking about!" Prue threw at him.  
  
"Prue! He's trying to help us feel better, that's all. We all got to get some rest, we'll pick back  
  
up tomorrow okay." Paige said that in a monotone and held back her frustration, otherwise Prue  
  
would come back with guns-a-blazing.  
  
"Okay." Prue said and left the shed. But instead of going to her room, she lay across the couch  
  
hoping to spot Piper coming through the doors. She also had thoughts of Bane and Cole on her mind.  
  
Paige and James left the shed together after hiding the book. "She'll be back." They both said at the  
  
same time, trying to re-assure the other. They both smiled and went to their rooms. There was a mutual  
  
respect in the air.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
Piper stood in front of Leo's un-finished house. It was dawn, and the sun was bathing the early morning  
  
light over his house. It was as if it was glowing. Piper looked over and saw 'The White Light.' She  
  
went over to hop in it. It was locked. That was easy fixed, Piper just misted inside the plane and  
  
sat in the back. She was in the same spot as she was in on the first day they met, when Danny was  
  
injured. She could remember falling for Leo's charms while in the plane, way before she got to know  
  
him. Piper just smiled, she had no more tears to shed. After sitting in the plane for a while, Piper  
  
decided to go inside the house, she may well have been able to live in with Leo. She walked through  
  
the rooms, making mental notes of where she was going to put everything, so she and her soul mate could  
  
live together without a care in the world. That wasn't the case, someboday took him away from her.  
  
She could feel the anger rise inside her, and her powers were itching to take something out...or  
  
rather, someone. 


	31. He didn't deserve it!

Chapter 31 - "He didn't deserve it!"  
  
It was the next morning and good Halliwells were up bright and early. Actually, they didn't have to  
  
get up since they didn't really sleep the night before.  
  
*So much for my 'Piper will be back in the morning' theory.* James bummed out.  
  
There was a knock at the door. James went to get it.   
  
"Hi." said a tired looking Bane.  
  
"Hey man. Where have you been?" asked James.  
  
"Out. Worried. Missing Prue." answered Bane before he stepped into the Halliwell residence.  
  
"Bane! I missed you." Prue said and then hugged him.  
  
"Missed you too." Bane said, still holding her.  
  
James smiled. At least one couple was still together. James hadn't seen or heard from Cole in a  
  
while, and he was concerned for Phoebe.  
  
"Have you seen Piper anywhere Bane? Please say yes." Prue stepped back and asked him.  
  
"Actually yeah i have. She did a look a little different than usual, i didn't get a chance to  
  
talk to her to see where she stands on my case. Why?"  
  
"You saw her? Oh thank god. Last night right?" James stepped closer to Bane.  
  
"Yeah last night. Is something wrong?" Bane was lost.  
  
"Piper, well we think she turned evil. We tried scrying for her but the crystal can't find her."  
  
Prue told.  
  
"So why does that make her evil in your books?" Bane was wondering why they had to scry for her.  
  
Paiged emerged from around the corner. "Because we had a little argument yesterday and she disappeared  
  
in some sort of purple mist. That, and she said maybe she doesn't want to be good anymore."  
  
*Oh well that's a dead give away* "Oh wow. She seemed fine. Although i don't know why she'd be out  
  
at 3am." Bane wondered.  
  
"She was out at 3am?" James didn't have a clue why Piper would do that.  
  
"Yeah, it did seem a little odd but i didn't make anything of it. Now i wish i had done." Bane felt  
  
bad. He wished he had spoken to Piper, maybe she would be home right now.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
Piper was lying on Leo's bed. She was asleep and had a packet of food on the dressing table facing  
  
the bed. She had gotten the food from a store last night, she didn't pay for it. Why should she  
  
when she could get it for free and not get in trouble by being sneaky.  
  
Piper woke up when the light shone on her face through the bedroom window. She got up and searched  
  
Leo's drawers to find something, anything. She came cross a pair of blue boxers and she giggled.  
  
She had seen them before. Then Piper found a picture of him, it seemed pretty recent as well. It  
  
was when he had received an award that year for the flying doctor service in San Diego. *Why did  
  
such a good man have to die?* "He didn't deserve it!" Piper yelled at the mirror. Piper took a  
  
closer look at the picture, she saw some important people in the backround. Then her eyes gazed  
  
over at someone she recognised in the photo - Ginia Patterson. *What the hell were you doing there  
  
bitch?* Piper again felt a shot of pain over Leo. Then for some reason, Piper remembered EVERY single  
  
time Ginia had bad mouthed her and her sisters over the years. *I'm not bound by good consequences   
  
anymore, who says i can't do us all a favor by ridding everyone of this evil?* Piper took the photo  
  
she was going to put it in her pocket of her pants, but she was wearing leather black ones and they  
  
didn't have any. Piper just left the picture on the table and misted out.  
  
A week had passed since Piper had turned to the dark side. James had convinced the other sisters  
  
to keep on going with their jobs and schedules in case Piper would cross their paths if she went  
  
looking. James offered to stay home, and if Piper showed up, he would call Paige to get them. Ginia  
  
hadn't been seen in town by any of the sisters. That seemed a little strange but the Halliwells  
  
did not mind it one bit.  
  
(The Tari Star)  
  
Phoebe was at work, her colomn had been expanded because of the reviews she was getting. Also,   
  
Ginia wasn't there to bear down on her and take away the credit Phoebe sorely deserved. This gave  
  
Phoebe a chance to show her bosses her talent and they wouldn't be influenced by Ginia's hold on   
  
them, she co-owned the paper. This week Phoebe had done a lot of focusing on her readers so she  
  
wouldn't have to dwell on her sisters disappearance. It was lunch time now, so Phoebe decided to  
  
step out and grab a bite from a local cafe. She was about to leave when someone got in her way.  
  
"Excuse me." Phoebe said while looking to the floor to pick up her handbag.  
  
"No, you should excuse me. I haven't seen you in a while."   
  
Phoebe knew that voice.  
  
"Cole! Oh my god, where have you been? I've been worried about you. Your head must be full of   
  
questions and..."  
  
Cole cut her off with a smile. "Phoebe, slow down."  
  
"Sorry." Phoebe smiled back and then sat down, Cole joined her.  
  
"It had been a little hard to figure out that you're, well, magical. It's also been hard to handle  
  
Leo's death. I mean, after what Piper said, i can't help but feel partially responsible..."  
  
"Cole..."  
  
"Phoebe. If i hadn't dealt with Alec, Leo might be alive. I was gone this week because i went to  
  
visit my friend Andy. He's a cop in San Francisco. When i asked him about how he knew Alec, he  
  
asked me who Alec was. I got a little freaked out, since last week Andy knew who Alec was and had  
  
complete confidence in him. Andy's partner Darryl didn't know who Alec was either. I wanna know  
  
Phoebe, is magic like that always happening around the place, in sinister and good ways?"  
  
"Yeah." Phoebe looked up at Cole. Cole grabbed Phoebe's hands. "It's not always for the best though.  
  
You know that my parents died right?"  
  
"Yeah. ...Oh, they died because of dark magic right. I'm sorry." Cole sympathised.  
  
"Yeah me too. Bane's parents died because of bad magic, Leo died beacuse of evil magic and now  
  
Piper has gone and joined evil and we don't know where the hell she is and i'm scared." Phoebe's  
  
face was filled with sorrow, anyone could see it from a mile off. She had been holding her fear   
  
of losing a sister for a week now and she couldn't hold it in any longer.  
  
Phoebe started to get teary. Cole came over to her side of the table and held her. "It's okay, everything  
  
will be okay." 


	32. You know, i could get used to this evil ...

Chapter 32 - "You know, i could get used to this evil gig."  
  
Phoebe felt better that night, Cole was going to sleep over. Prue had arrived home and Bane was  
  
with her. Paige and James had spent the day together as friends and talked about Piper.  
  
"Hey guys, i wanna ask y'all something." James said and brought everyone to the living room.  
  
"Me too." Paige added.  
  
Bane, Prue, Phoebe and Cole were sitting down opposite the other two.  
  
"Have you got some time soon to come to my luncheon? I figured that if Paige and i can put up flyers  
  
tomorrow, Piper might notice that we'll all be in the same place at the same time and maybe want  
  
to talk, or come back to us."  
  
"Yeah, if we're all there having a good time, she might remember what it was like to have fun  
  
and be in a family and join us again. I don't think it will hurt if we try this. If she doesn't  
  
show, god help us, we'll at least get some profit from the lunch." Paige chimed in.  
  
"So what do you say? Up for lunch sometime soon? Oh and if we do do this, which i am, are we going  
  
to invite people or just have it as an open thing?" James asked the four.  
  
"Yeah i think it's a great idea. As for who comes, i think we'll just have it open, so it's less  
  
trouble to organise." said Prue.  
  
"Yeah i'll come. But hey, do you know how to run these things? I mean, i wouldn't have a clue how  
  
to organise something like that. Piper did it all." Phoebe asked the two.  
  
"I've never done it before, but Paige has." Said James.  
  
"Yeah i have, i worked with Piper a few times. I even ran one on my own without her, Ginia went  
  
off at me but i thought i did a good job." Paige smiled.  
  
"Yeah, you did, James complimented, "you were great."  
  
"Speaking of the wicked bitch of the west, has anyone seen or heard from Ginia lately? Not that   
  
it's a concern for me.." Bane asked.  
  
No one spoke. That was an obvious no.  
  
"This week, i haven't had to put up with her criticisms at work." Said Phoebe with glee.  
  
"I haven't seen her around town barking at people." Said Prue.  
  
"I haven't either. That's odd, but in a good way." Paige said.  
  
"Who knows, maybe she finally got what was coming for her." Cole smiled at Paige, he remembered  
  
when he and her had spoken about it the first time they met.  
  
"Well at least she's out of the way." James added. "Okay, i'll make the flyers now and stick 'em  
  
up around town tomorrow. Thursday good for everyone?"  
  
"Yeah." They all answered back.   
  
The next day, flyers had been posted up around the small town. Paige had taken one side, and James  
  
the other. Both of them were going to pay for the function, but they would get the money back  
  
from the lunch goers.  
  
Piper had misted to her real home, the Halliwell house. She hadn't been there for a while and it  
  
felt strange to be standing in front of it again. She was going to go inside but first, checked  
  
to see if anyone was home. No one was so she went in. Piper packed all her clothes so she could  
  
place them in Leo's house. That's where she was going to stay when she was above ground. After   
  
that, she went round back to grab one of her plants to take with her. She picked the pot plant  
  
up, which had been replaced by her sisters after it was blown to smithereens by Piper, and walked  
  
past the place of pain. *We'll be together one day Leo. Just not now, i'm having too much fun  
  
with the whole 'no consequences' stuff. Although it's not like you dying wasn't consequence enough.  
  
I'm sorry that happened. It shouldn't have but it did. I have every right to lose the Charmed  
  
life. Why should i when i can avoid further pain? I love you Leo, and i promise i'll take care  
  
of your house when i'm there.* After Piper's thoughts, she misted home and magicing all her things  
  
with her.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
Piper had put her stuff away. Then she sat all alone in the house, the house of broken dreams.  
  
She had all the time in the world to herself. She decided to fix up the house, after all, it was  
  
what she and her lover were going to do when they were alive and good. It was going to take hours  
  
but Piper found a way around that. *No more thinking about personal gain.* she smiled. Her magic  
  
allowed her to do things she never would have considered before. The house was taking good shape  
  
as the hours passed by. *Personal gain no more, besides, i've had enough personal loss, i should  
  
be entitled to all the personal gain i want.* Piper beamed. "Wish you were here Leo, we could  
  
fix the house up together."   
  
Piper was now getting tired. She went into town to grab something to eat. As she looked around,   
  
she noticed the flyers for Thursday's luncheon, run by Paige and James. *Aww how sweet, Paige  
  
and James are getting along just fine.* Piper smiled and headed down the road. She came across  
  
another flyer. *What are they trying to flag me down to have lunch?? No, maybe they are moving  
  
on without me now.* Piper didn't know which option would be most likely. *Oh, who am i kidding,   
  
they obviously want me back. I don't know if i want to pay a visit. I payed Ginia a visit, the  
  
bitch, and now she's six feet under.* Piper smiled again, grabbed something to eat and headed home.  
  
It was now Thursday. Still no sign of Piper and all her clothes were missing.  
  
"I hope this works." Paige said to James, as she carried the last of the glasses into the dining  
  
hall.   
  
"It will, i can feel it." He replied.  
  
Prue, Cole, Bane and Phoebe had arrived before everyone else and grabbed a table close to the doors.  
  
Hopefully to catch first site of Piper if she was going to turn up.  
  
The place was packed and it was an hour after the place had opened, still no sign of their sister.  
  
"I don't think she's coming." Cole said, finishing of his glass of wine.  
  
"She has to, she will." James stayed optimistic.  
  
"She better, and if she does, she'd better come soon, people are leaving." Phoebe told.  
  
"Yeah people are finishing up but we can stay here as long as we want." Prue said.  
  
(Halliwell home)  
  
Piper was standing outside her old house. Staring at the lost scorch mark. *Why do i keep coming  
  
back here??* Piper felt the darkness flow over her and through her. Her powers had greatly increased  
  
and she was making a name for herself in the evil world. No, she wasn't working for or with evil,   
  
but she was eliminating warlocks because they were the kind like Alec, who she loathed. Killing  
  
of Warlocks was earning her respect of Demons all over. She was highly skilled, and with her skill  
  
came power. At the rate she was going, she could be moving up in the ranks if she wanted.  
  
Piper realised she was really hungry. *I suppose i could go to that freekin function but if i do,   
  
they'll try and lure me to their side. I don't want to go back.* Piper started to mist home when  
  
she felt someone's presence in her town. She couldn't believe who it was and misted to the town.  
  
By now, all the guests had gone. The Halliwells had made good profit today, but their spirits  
  
weren't very high. Piper hadn't shown.  
  
"Do you need us anymore for anything?" The bus boys asked Paige and Co.   
  
No-one answered, so the bus buys just left, they just had a rude experiance but were happy since  
  
they were going to get a good pay for today.  
  
The room was silent. That silence was broken when someone barged in through the doors.  
  
"Where is your sister Piper?! I demand to see her now!"  
  
"Hold up, we don't know where she is. Where have you been? No, we don't care. Go away, we're closed."  
  
Prue stood up.  
  
Ginia was repulsed. "Don't you speak to me like that young lady. Don't act stupid like you don't   
  
know. Piper somehow got me to sign a deal working with funeral homes. It is disgusting, i never  
  
in my life dreamt of having a job like that. I have never been deceived like that before. I   
  
don't want to own that company, those people at DanielHobob Funerals are slobs!"  
  
The sisters wanted to laugh at Ginia, and they were on the inside, but how could Piper have done  
  
that? Did she have that kind of power or did she force her into it?  
  
"Ginia! What are you doing back here in our town? Get the hell out, i sent you somewhere where  
  
you belong, go home." Piper demanded.  
  
Everyone got up. "Piper!" They were happy to see her, but the circumstances were strange.  
  
"You little witch, how dare you do that to me. You think you scare me? Well you don't!" Ginia  
  
stuck her nose up. She didn't know Piper was a witch, but she didn't know what else to call her.  
  
"I don't scare you...how 'bout now?" Piper blew up a table behind her and had a huge grin on her  
  
face.   
  
"Aaaaah! How did you do that??" Ginia was backing up.  
  
"Magic. Now why don't you get your punk ass out of here like i said to before huh?" Piper looked  
  
like she was going to lose it pretty soon.  
  
"Piper, what are you doing? i know it's fun to do this, but you shouldn't." Paige tried to reason   
  
with her older sister.  
  
"Things have changed sis, i have changed. I can do what i want now, when i want and i wont get  
  
hurt. Don't worry about you getting consequences from this, you aren't the one doing it."  
  
Ms. Patterson was shitting herself. She could see Piper's fury and didn't know what to do. "Please  
  
don't hurt me!"  
  
"So much for not being scared of me bitch." Piper said back. "I got every right to hurt you, you've  
  
hurt us, now you gotta pay." Piper was slowly edging toward Ginia and opening her hands.  
  
"Piper don't!" Phoebe yelled. Piper had blown up the table next to Ginia this time.  
  
"Oops." Piper smiled and set her attention on her target again. "I missed you again, ah well, third  
  
time's the charm."  
  
Piper was extending her hands again. "Piper don't do this! We can work around it. Ginia is not  
  
our favourite person in the world, but you have to think about this." Prue spoke fast.  
  
"What's there to think about? We rid the world of evil. She's evil."  
  
"Yeah she's evil, but she's not demonic evil. Piper, you can't go around killing people." Prue  
  
was so scared. She was tempted to use her powers on her own sister but even if she did, would  
  
they work on her?  
  
Piper put her hands down. She turned and faced her sisters. "Oki doki." Ginia was still shaking  
  
but thankful to be alive.  
  
"See Piper, that was good. Now let us deal with her and um, why don't you help yourself to lunch.  
  
It's on the house." James said.  
  
"Of course it's on the house, i don't have any money on me." Piper quipped. "Oh Ginia, one more  
  
thing." Piper blew up Ginia into a thousand little pieces, and it didn't leave any mess.  
  
Prue, Phoebe, Paige, Cole, James and Bane were speechless.  
  
"What?" Piper grinned. Then, Ginia was coming back into form and was standing before them again.  
  
"Am i dead?" Ginia asked.  
  
"Nope, but you were pretty damn close. Hehe, i can control that now that i'm consequence free.  
  
You know, i could get used to this evil gig." Piper laughed and then sat went and grabbed something  
  
to eat and took the table closest to the bar. 


	33. how bloody annoying is she? Far out

Chapter 33 - "how bloody annoying is she? Far out."  
  
Everyone couldn't belive how much Piper had changed. In ther back of their minds, they did find the   
  
scaring shitless amusing but they knew better not to show it until she was gone.  
  
Ginia was just standing there, she noticed that everyone's eyes were on Piper, she used this as a  
  
chance to sneak out of the function house. Ginia opened the door quietly.  
  
"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going missy?" Piper said in-between bites.  
  
Ms Patterson hesitated for a minute, wondering what Piper could or would do to her, then listening  
  
to her gut, she tried to make a run for it.  
  
Piper rolled hers eyes and waved her free hand. Ginia came flying back inside and the door slammed  
  
shut. "Well that was rude. You didn't even ask me if you could leave."  
  
*No, it was rude that you didn't let me leave* Ginia thought.  
  
"And that thought wasn't very smart Gin." Piper said and took a sip of wine.  
  
"W-wait, you heard what i thought??"  
  
"Yes, i did. Besides, even if i were to let you leave, i couldn't. You know our secret and someone  
  
with a mouth as big as yours will not be able to keep it to yourself. We can't let that happen -  
  
right sisters?"  
  
The other Halliwells didn't know if Piper was good again but she did have a point.  
  
"Yeah, she's right Ginia, we can't have that happen, we wouldn't be able to do what we do anymore."  
  
Prue told her. Phoebe and Paige nodded.  
  
"So what are you going to do to me? Turn me into a toad, you witch?" *You bitch*  
  
"A toad? Nope, dats too cliché. And again, your thoughts are biting you in the ass Gin-gin."  
  
Piper got up and threw Ginia into the corner of a table, it hurt her butt. "Now, will you stop  
  
making stupid comments and making me talk? I'm trying to eat here."  
  
"No, you don't want to hurt me Halliwells, i have connections that can put you on ice in alaska."  
  
She tried to stand up to them, that wasn't a very good idea.  
  
"Screw that, how 'bout i put you on ice right now." Piper froze her. "God dammit, how bloody annoying  
  
is she? Far out."  
  
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh. "You really made her sign a funeral contract?"  
  
"Yeah, wasn't hard. She wanted power and i gave it to her. Did you have a nice time when she wasn't  
  
around?"  
  
"Yeah actually i did. Because you sent her away, i got to expand my colomn and work in peace this  
  
week." Phoebe smiled.  
  
"Dats really good to hear Pheebs."  
  
"Yeah, but i missed you Pipe. When are you coming back?"  
  
"...What do you mean? Coming home or coming back to Charmed?"  
  
"Both." Paige said.  
  
"I don't think i want to come back home, it hurts too much. And as for Charmed, i haven given up  
  
my powers, i just don't have to worry about the personal gain stuff anymore. I deserve more."  
  
Piper wasn't being cocky, that came from the heart.  
  
"Piper you can come home, we can help you deal with whatever you're feeling." said James and Bane.  
  
"We miss you and we need you." Prue added.  
  
"I'm sorry, i am." Piper's voice was trembly, she couldn't go back home, home where Leo died.  
  
Piper was about to mist away when Ginia unfroze; she noticed that everyone wasn't in the spots that  
  
they were in before she had gone under the freeze.  
  
"What happened? How did you do that?"  
  
"None of your business." Cole snapped at her. Cole hadn't said anything for a while, he decided to  
  
stay out of things, especially since Piper was mad at him.  
  
Piper semi-blew Ginia up. Her body was spinning around in particles through the air. "We need to  
  
get rid of her, now."  
  
"You don't mean killing her do you?" Paige asked.  
  
"Is exactly what i mean."  
  
"We can't let you do that." Prue said, but not to piss Piper off.  
  
"Why not? We all want it."  
  
"Sorry Piper. I know i want it, but we can't kill her." Phoebe said regrettably.  
  
"Memory spell, we'll try to erase hers. Give her a new identity and kick her out of town." Prue said  
  
with a smile, it wasn't totally personal gain and they didn't have to kill a mortal either.  
  
"....Fine. I'd rather kill her, but." Piper agreed.  
  
"Too bad we don't have a Whitelighter. He..or she could do it for us no problems." said Paige.   
  
"Too bad i can't do it either, i mean i can orb myself and other things but i can't erase memory."  
  
Paige really wished she had that power.  
  
The four sisters made up a spell on the spot. Bane, James and Cole stood back.  
  
Ginia glowed for a second and then regained her senses. "Who are you?...who am I??"  
  
"Your name is Ginia Patterson. You don't belong in this town." Prue started.  
  
"You no longer want to co-own 'The Tari Star', you worship us Halliwells." Phoebe added.  
  
"You don't like to gossip, but you do have a certain thing for scruffy men." Paige told.  
  
"You'd like to go and work at your new place 'DanielHobob Funerals', and stay outta my face or you  
  
wont be so lucky next time." Piper finished.  
  
"Really?" A gullible Ginia asked.  
  
"Yes." The three guys answered back.  
  
"Okey, well nice meeting you.. i think." Ginia turned and went to leave. She tried the door but   
  
Piper's magic was still holding it shut.  
  
*Oh.* Piper waved her hand and the door swung open. Ginia left once and for all.  
  
Paige, Prue and Phoebe noticed Piper's power was growing and could be a danger, even to them.  
  
The guys were smiling, they didn't know Ginia very much but they were happy for the Halliwell sisters.  
  
The room was silent once again. Piper wanted to leave, and she wanted to hug her sisters as well.  
  
She felt closer to them again when they performed the magic just then. Piper had to let go though.  
  
She didn't want to say goodbye but she wasn't going to stay. "See you." Two simple words and then  
  
she misted away again.  
  
(Halliwell home)  
  
The mood wasn't too bad but it wasn't happy either. Paige tried to lighten it up a little. "Did  
  
you see the look on Ginia's face when we told her where to go?"  
  
Prue and the others smiled. *Mission accomplished..short mission accomplished.* Paige thought.  
  
"Why can't i heal or erase memories? I'm no whitelighter and yet i can orb stuff, including me."  
  
"I don't know. I guess it will always be a mystery." Prue answered.  
  
"Maybe you just got lucky." Phoebe warmed up.  
  
"You alright James man?" Bane asked.  
  
"Yeah, i just wish Piper was back, i miss her."  
  
"I miss her too." A male voice sounded from above. Bright lights lit up the room. The Charmed Ones  
  
were going to meet their new Whitelighter. 


	34. I'm here now, and all i want is you

Chapter 34 - "I'm here now, and all i want is you."  
  
The blue light died down and the Whitelighter's identity was revealed. Before them stood a lost soul.  
  
"LEO!" Everyone yelled out.  
  
"You're a Whitelighter?" "You have powers?" "Did you really leave?" Everyone was shooting questions  
  
at him left, right and centre.  
  
"Slow down, i just got here." Leo smiled, stopped and composed himself. "I did die, i was meant to.  
  
So if there's anyone here who blames themselves over it, you can stop. I was meant to die so i could  
  
become The Charmed Ones' Whitelighter, well The Halliwells' Whitelighter." Leo smiled again. "They   
  
-my bosses, The Elders- were going to make me a Whitelighter if i commited a selfless act, in this  
  
case, saving Cole's life."  
  
"And i thank you for that Leo." Cole was forever greatful, he was still wrapping his head around all  
  
this magic business but he could handle it, for Phoebe.  
  
"I just wish i was told before it happened, to ease the surprise and pain..especially Piper's."   
  
Leo seemed to go a little distant, and then came back to them. "That's my first mission with you  
  
girls, bring Piper back to good."  
  
Prue could see the pain in Leo's eyes. She knew he knew that Piper was succumbing to Evil. She also  
  
felt sorry for Leo, he could see what Piper was doing, but be able to do anything or see her when   
  
he was 'away'.  
  
"Well this is great! Piper loves you more than anything Leo, she didn't know you for long, but that  
  
short time, in relationship terms, was enough." Paige smiled at him. "She'd pretty much do anything to  
  
have you back. You're deffinatley a good guy now, if she wants to be with you, she'll come back home  
  
to all of us."  
  
The mood was much happier in The Manor, happier than it had been in a long time. Leo was back and   
  
soon Piper would be too.  
  
They had to get Piper's attention, but how would they do it? They couldn't just summon her, she   
  
wasn't a willing Witch.   
  
"Lets just see if she comes back on her own." Leo said out of the blue.  
  
"What?" Phoebe was surprised, did Leo really have that much faith in her? Of course he did.  
  
"She'll come back, i don't think we'll have to coax her. I have a feeling i know where she is."  
  
"Can you sense her or something?" James asked, he was curious as to what a Whitelighter's powers were.  
  
"I would be able to if she was a full on Witch, but she's not completely. I just have a feeling and  
  
i think i'm right." Leo orbed out before anyone could speak back.  
  
(Leo's place)   
  
Piper was lying on the bed, staring at the picture of Leo in the frame. She had a feeling, a good  
  
one, but she didn't know why. She missed her family too. Seeing them the other day at Ginia's send  
  
off rattled Piper a little. After she had misted away from P3, she felt like she had left something  
  
behind, she just dismissed it as wanting to talk with her sisters and friends, but really, it was  
  
Leo returning and orbing in to the club - she didn't know that he was back.  
  
Leo was at his house, being back there was strange. It was hard to think that not so long ago, he  
  
had spent beautiful hours with his lover. Leo was peaking in the window and saw Piper mist away.  
  
he followed her trail and was standing in a field.  
  
Piper drew herself away from the picture and decided to go out, she found herself in a field of   
  
long grass, in another town. It was beautiful and the sun was slowly setting over the sky.  
  
Leo was staring at her, her beauty was overwhelming. All he wanted to do was be in her embrace.  
  
Piper was staring off into the sunset when she felt a familiar presence. She was afraid to turn around  
  
because if she did, the feeling might disappear.  
  
"Tell me you still be there when i turn around." Piper wished out loud.  
  
"I'll be there." Leo struggled to speak.  
  
Piper turned and was blinking her eyes furiously. "Oh my gosh Leo."  
  
Both of them felt like collapsing on the spot. They started to fall but caught each other before  
  
it they ended up on the grass.  
  
"I missed you so so much Piper."  
  
"I missed you so much too Leo...i thought you were dead." Piper said, her eyes glistening.  
  
"I was. And now i'm back, i'm your Whitelighter."  
  
"Whitelighter?? How can you be a Whitelighter? Why did you have to die to become one, one should  
  
have saved you, not killed you." Piper was all over the place. She had hated Whitelighters for not  
  
being there to save Leo, and now he was back, as one of them.  
  
"It was my destiny. The Elders make people who have helped people in their lives Whitelighters, to  
  
help and guide Witches. I wasn't going to accept the offer at first, i mean they let me die so i   
  
would work for them, some initiation that was. But when they told me i was going to be watching  
  
over you and your sisters, i had to do it. It was the only way to be with you Piper." Leo drew Piper  
  
closer to his body. "I'm here now, and all i want is you."  
  
Piper was processing what her angel had just said to her, but she was getting lost in the green of  
  
his eyes. Her mind, body and soul skipped the Whitelighter crap and went and focused on the last   
  
things Leo had said - he came back for her.   
  
Leo was staring back into Piper's soulful brown eyes and they engaged in the most passionate kiss  
  
they had ever had before this moment.  
  
After that moving moment, they came up for air and stood there together in silence.   
  
Piper broke it, "Leo. I couldn't have asked for more than to have you back, but i can't go back. I  
  
don't want to."  
  
Leo pulled back a little. He couldn't understand what Piper was saying.  
  
"I want to be with you Leo, but i want to live a life without consequences. I'm going to ask you  
  
something."  
  
Leo's eyes blinked in anticipation.  
  
"Will you come with me? We wanted to live together Leo, and now we can."  
  
Leo was now the one to have to process things in his head. "Piper..i want to, more than you know,  
  
but.."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I can't just shun my Whitelighter duties, i just got them, and i have to protect your sisters as  
  
well as you."  
  
"You still can be a Whitelighter. My sisters wont need you all the time, come with me. I love you."  
  
Leo was hesitant to answer, he didn't want to hurt Piper's feelings, but he didn't want to say no.  
  
"It's okay. You don't have to answer now, just call me when you're ready." Piper leant in and kissed  
  
Leo on the lips.  
  
"I love you too."   
  
After Leo had confirmed his love, Piper reluctantly misted out. She didn't want to leave his side,   
  
but she didn't want to push him away with an ultimatum. 


	35. Here's a threat for ya

Chapter 35 - "Here's a threat for ya."   
  
It had been a few days and Leo was missing Piper so much. He hadn't told the others about her asking  
  
him to leave with her.   
  
"Do you think Piper's coming back Leo?" Asked Phoebe, for the one hundredth time.  
  
"I don't know." Leo replied. He didn't get annoyed with Phoebe's questions, as he knew she missed  
  
her sister and wanted her back.  
  
Cole saw the disappointment in Phoebe's eyes when Leo answered her. He walked up and gave her a   
  
hug. "I still can't help but feel partially responsible for Piper leaving."  
  
"Baby, you can't think that way. It's not your fault, even Leo doesn't think so." Comforted Phoebe,   
  
while rubbing Cole's back.  
  
"Maybe not, but you can't deny that there were some days when the look in Piper's eyes could have  
  
killed me - if she had that power." Cole shivered.  
  
"She did have the power to kill you Cole, but she didn't. Can we stop talking about her now?" asked  
  
Leo, but in a demanding voice.  
  
"I know you want her back Leo. And we're gonna talk about her if we want to, i NEED to. I need to  
  
believe that she will come back. Can't you do something?"  
  
"Don't you think i would if i could?"  
  
"But Leo, you're a Whitelighter, you can fix this."  
  
"Phoebe. I'm new to my powers, i'm still wrapping my head around magic. Give me a break."  
  
Phoebe could see the frustration in him. She backed off, otherwise she'd start too. "I'm sorry."  
  
"...It's okay." Leo sat down on the couch. Phoebe sat opposite him and Cole sat with her.  
  
James was watching the whole thing through the window. He thought he could sneak a peek at the Book  
  
of Shadows while they were sitting down pre-occupied.  
  
(P3)  
  
Paige was ordering/supervising the bus boys as they cleaned up after dinner.  
  
"She's doing great, isn't she."  
  
"Yeah, pretty good for someone who hasn't been in the business too long." Prue smiled at Bane, who  
  
was sitting next to her at a corner table.   
  
"She's a quick study. I'm guessing that's a Halliwell trait hey."  
  
"Yeah, i reckon it is. That, and she learnt from the best."  
  
Bane held one of Prue's hands. He whispered into Prue's ear, "Don't worry, Piper will come around.   
  
I promise."  
  
"What's with all the 'She's' and 'Yeahs'? Are you talking about me?"  
  
"Ah! Paige, you scared me..us." Prue had let go of Bane's hand and put it on her chest.  
  
"Sorry. But you guys were whispering, and i know you were talking about me. Spill it."  
  
"You wanna know the truth?" Paige nodded at Bane. "We were saying how great you are at this job.  
  
And how quickly you have caught on."  
  
"Wait, really?" Prue nodded at Paige. "Oh heh, thanks guys. I just wish Piper was here too."  
  
"You want to know where Piper is?"  
  
The three of them looked over to the opposite side of the room and only saw a male figure. All  
  
of the workers had disappeared.  
  
"Where are the employees?" Bane asked, standing up.  
  
"Where's Piper!" Demanded Prue, following Bane in standing up.  
  
"Ho, slow down. You stood up to greet me? You have good manners."  
  
"Just answer the questions." Said Paige, edging closer towards him.  
  
"Ooh fiesty. Well, the employees are outside, i dismissed them early. Oh and don't worry, i don't  
  
need to hurt them so i didn't. As for Piper..." A big smile crossed his dark face, "She's joined  
  
our side. She chose well, you should be more like your sister."  
  
"Screw you. She hasn't joined you, she's just not with us." Paige spat.  
  
"Ohhkay, whatever way you want to spin it - i'll go with." His voice was deep and he had dark skin.  
  
He stepped forward and looked ready to attack.  
  
"You stay where you are. Or you'll be sorry." Prue stood up to the imminent threat.  
  
"Oh another fiesty one, must run in the family. Yes, it does, Piper's pretty fiesty - oh and so  
  
hot with her threats oww!"  
  
"Don't you talk about their sister like that!" Bane went to hit him but Prue put her hand in front  
  
of his chest to stop him.   
  
"It's okay," Prue whispered, "I got him covered." Prue reached into her bag and pulled out a potion.  
  
She held it behind her back. "Tell us where Piper is."  
  
"You want me to tell you? You'll just try and kill me after i do."  
  
"That would be the point." Paige cocked her head to the side and back straight again. "At least if  
  
you do it our way, it'll be less painfull."  
  
"Hmpf. You wont kill me, and besides, i don't know where Piper is. Oh but i wish i did."  
  
Prue got fed up with the demon drooling over her absent sister. She threw the potion at him. He  
  
wasn't quick enough to stop it. Paige and Bane were waiting for an explosion and flames, nothing  
  
but a measly puff of smoke rose up into the air.  
  
"You tried." The demon sent an electricity zap their way. They ducked behind the tables.  
  
"OK the potion didn't work...lets call Leo, see if it works." Paige suggested. "Leo!"  
  
"Who is Leo?" Asked the demon.  
  
"I'm Leo." Leo orbed in behind the demon and smacked him over the head with a chair.  
  
"Oh good, you came." Prue smiled, having a Whitelighter would make things so much easier for them.  
  
"I know him." The demon had gone down when Leo knocked him over, he was getting up now. "Um..he is..  
  
Dashir. You kill him with,"  
  
"With?" Bane tried to hurry Leo up.  
  
"Some real strong power. Like Piper's."  
  
"Well unfortunately Piper isn't here, we don't know where she is." Told Paige.  
  
"Piper?!" Yelled Leo.  
  
Seconds later, Piper misted in, just behind Leo.  
  
"Leo?"  
  
"Piper!" Yelled Paige and Prue in unison.  
  
They went to hug her, but the demon had knocked them flying with a punches.  
  
Piper got up off the floor and composed herself. "You can't think that you can punch my sisters and  
  
get away with it."  
  
"Got any more threats?" He was enjoying this.  
  
Leo noticed/sensed it and punched him right in the nose. Dashir was again on the floor and his   
  
nose was bleeding.  
  
Piper found that side of Leo sexy, but she had to focus.  
  
"Here's a threat for ya. You pissed me off, too bad you didn't learn not to do that."  
  
Piper waved her hands and this time, Dash blew up and the flames lighted up the room briefly.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" Piper notcied Prue and Paige were a bit groggy from the punches.  
  
Leo went over and healed them, the feeling of healing felt strange to him, yet sort of comforting.  
  
"Wow." Piper hadn't seen someone be healed before. "I need some of that touch over here."  
  
Leo walked over to Piper and hugged her. Bane just stood back and watched their interaction. Leo  
  
felt right, being in Piper's arms.  
  
"Leo. Have you ..."  
  
"Yes."   
  
Prue, Paige and Bane were lost.  
  
"So you're ..."  
  
"Yes."  
  
They kissed each other and misted out together.  
  
*What just happened?* "Did they just bail on us?" Paige wasn't sure. Prue and Bane couldn't answer. 


	36. lets just say i had a little magical aid

Chapter 36 - "lets just say i had a little magical aid."  
  
(Halliwell Home)  
  
Cole and Phoebe were awaiting Leo's return. They were starting to get a little worried.  
  
White lights filled the room and emerged Paige, Prue and Bane.  
  
"Where's Leo?" *Didn't he go to you guys?* Thought Phoebe.  
  
The three were thinking of an appropriate and accurate answer.  
  
"Well?" Cole wanted a faster answer.  
  
"He..uh, he went off somewhere..." Prue folded her arms awkwardly, "With Piper."  
  
"Wait, Piper? She was with you guys? How did you get her to come to you?" Phoebe was excited  
  
about her sister making an appearance.  
  
"She was with us, briefly." Said Bane.  
  
"Actually, she saved us. After Leo got her to come when he called out her name." Paige spoke  
  
with a puzzled face.  
  
"She saved you, that's great! So she's on your side... You said Leo went off with Piper, to talk  
  
some sense into her?" Cole couldn't help but question, he was a lawyer. He was also more and more  
  
comfortable with magic existing.  
  
"We wish. I think he was more interested in...catching up on 'activities' they haven't done in a  
  
while, if you catch my drift." Bane could tell that from seeing the look in Leo's eyes at the club.  
  
"What, is that all?" Phoebe put her hands on her knees, "I mean, i can't blame him for wanting that  
  
but he's a Whitelighter now. He needs to put those thoughts aside and focus on getting her back."  
  
Nobody was quite sure what it was that Leo was up to.  
  
James stumbled in from outside. Hiccup. "Hey guys, wassup?" Hiccup.   
  
"James? What are you drunk?" Bane had been drinking buddies with James a few times, so he though  
  
he could tell by now.  
  
"Drunk?" Hiccup. "No, though i wouldn't mind having a drink right about now."  
  
He tripped over a small coffee table. Cole got up just in time to catch him.  
  
"Good catch." Paige complimented.  
  
"Jamie, can you tell us what happened sweetie?" Asked Prue in a friendly way to calm him down.  
  
James sat on the couch. "Um.." Hiccup. "I remembered something Grams had said about Whitelighters.  
  
I don't remember what it is now, my head hurts."  
  
"Well Jame, we need you to try a little harder." Phoebe switched seats with Cole to hold James' hand.  
  
"Okkkay. I used what she - Grams said to write a spell to bring me...to bring me to Piper, yeah.   
  
Piper wanted to be with her Whitelighter, which is L-Le-Leo." James shook his head to keep himself  
  
awake.   
  
"You wrote a spell and it worked? But you're not magical." Cole questioned again.  
  
"No, i also made one of those drinky things..."  
  
"A potion?" Asked Prue.  
  
"Yah! Dats that one. I drank that potion and said the spell," He scratched his head. "..I don't   
  
know what happened after that. I think it sent me somewhere, but i don't know where 'somewhere' was."  
  
James was now upset. Hiccup.  
  
"It's okay James, don't be upset. I think you should try and get some sleep. Maybe you'll remember  
  
more in the morning." Phoebe got up and led James to his room.  
  
"Well that was interesting." Cole commented.  
  
"I didn't know he was practising magic without us knowing. He could've gotten really hurt." Prue  
  
was concerned for him, and also confused by his actions.  
  
"Didn't you or Phoebe notice that he was gone, or in the shed?" Asked Bane.  
  
"No, we didn't. I don't know why either, we should have." Cole felt slightly responsible for it again.  
  
(Leo's Place)  
  
"Oh Leo. I knew you'd make the right choice."  
  
"Piper, i love you."  
  
"So...finally we're together. No one and nothing is going to get in our way." Piper stepped towards  
  
him.  
  
Leo accepted Piper's advance happily. "Amen to that."  
  
"Did you notice? What do you think?" Smiled Piper.  
  
"I think we deserve this." Leo smiled back at her and kissed Piper romantically.  
  
"Mmm Leo?"  
  
"Yes Piper?"  
  
"I was actually talking about the house."  
  
"The house? Oh! The house. Yeah i knew that." Leo blushed.  
  
"Oh honey." Piper put her hand on his cheek. "But now that you've started it, i don't think you  
  
should stop." It was Piper's turn to kiss Leo romantically.  
  
While Leo was receiving his wonderful kiss, his eyes were open - viewing his house.  
  
Leo pulled away after she had finished. "That was great. And so is my house! Piper how did you do  
  
all this? I wouldn't even have been able to pull this off in that amount of time." Leo complimented.  
  
*I wish we could have built it together, but you doing it for me when you thought i was gone, is  
  
satisfaction enough for me. Gosh you're inventive, and i love ya for it.*  
  
"Hmm, lets just say i had a little magical aid."  
  
"A little?" Leo knew it was against his Whitelighter rules to let this go, but he was so impressed.  
  
"Okay maybe more than a little. But it paid off didn't it?"  
  
"Yes it did baby." At that moment, Leo didn't care about the Wiccan rules.  
  
"And so will this." Piper gave Leo a sly look.   
  
Their hands met, and so did their lips. Piper planned to give Leo a tour of the house, whilst getting  
  
back what was rightfully hers - her soulmate.  
  
Piper and Leo were stumbling around the house, looking at the rooms...and also making use of the walls  
  
and furniture as balance.   
  
Leo was so happy about how great his house looked, and even more happier about having Piper back  
  
in his life. Piper could tell that Leo was pleased with the results, and was going to be pleased  
  
by what was to happen, once they reached ther bedroom.  
  
When they finally got there, their tops were missing in previously visited rooms and their hair  
  
was messed up. This room hadn't changed. It was the only place Piper had connected with Leo, more  
  
than any place in the world. The only difference maybe, was the picture of Leo with his award from  
  
the Flying Doctors, sitting in plain sight. That picture was knocked over by the couple and it landed  
  
on the floor, shattering only on the bit where Ginia's face was showing in the backround.  
  
Piper pulled Leo towards the bed and he fell on her.  
  
"Well this is familiar."  
  
"You want to remind me of everything, my Leo?"  
  
"Of course i will, my lady."  
  
As further clothes were removed, Leo could hear the Elders jingling in his head. But it was only faint.  
  
He dismissed it, he could deal with them later and he could have Piper now. 


	37. And the killers?

Chapter 37 - "And the killers?"  
  
A couple of days had passed and there was no sign of Piper and Leo coming back. James couldn't remember   
  
what he had put in that potion that brought him to where Piper was the other night, but he liked   
  
the fact that he used magic and it worked. Prue, Phoebe, Bane and Cole decided to keep on with their  
  
lives and hope for the best. Piper and Leo weren't just going to turn up if they got a little homesick,   
  
especially now that they had each other again.   
  
"Hey, you didn't burn the pancakes." Prue was impressed with Phoebe's skill.  
  
"Yeah, this is pretty fun." Phoebe flipped one. "I don't know why, but cooking makes me feel a little   
  
more independant." She said with a smile.  
  
Paige nodded. "I think we're all getting better at cooking. Guess we were just so used to Piper cooking  
  
for us that we never bothered to learn or pay attention."  
  
Phoebe served the pancakes on the table and everyone sat around.   
  
"Yumm." Bane had a taste.  
  
"I remember a few years back, Piper had made the best pancakes and we had a cream fight," James laughed,   
  
"Most of the pancakes didn't survive."  
  
"Piper's speciality." Prue chipped in.  
  
"Cream fights?" Asked Bane.  
  
"No, she meant the pancakes, silly." Prue corrected her boyfriend and smooshed some whipped cream  
  
on his face.  
  
"Hey!" Bane protested. He rubbed his cheek against hers and got her back.   
  
Paige got up to get out of the way and knocked the cream can over, the nozzle was pushed down and  
  
squirted on James and Phoebe. The war was on.  
  
A few minutes of mess and laughter passed before a knock on the door brought the food fight to a stop.  
  
They voted that the least messiest would answer the door. Phoebe was it, although, she did have very   
  
sticky hands.  
  
The man outside listened for a bit and didn't know what to expect. Phoebe opened the door and tried not  
  
to leave cream on the handle.  
  
"Uh, hi." Phoebe noticed that the tall, dark skinned man looked a bit edgy. "Can i help you sir?"  
  
"Ehm yeah, at, at least i think so. Do you know Cole Turner? Are you a Halliwell?"  
  
"Can i know who's asking?" Phoebe signaled for the others to come over to her.  
  
"Me. Darryl Morris."   
  
Phoebe remembered that Darryl had contact with Alec, Cole had mentioned him before. Phoebe put her hands  
  
on her head, as reaction to the thought that this man at her doorstep could be evil. Phoebe brought her   
  
hands down by her sides and realised that she had made her hair sticky. *Damn, i just washed my hair this  
  
morning*  
  
"What do you want with Cole? With us?" Prue asked as she stepped next to Phoebe.  
  
"I want to know what the hell is going on. Where Cole is, he hasn't contacted me for a while. There's   
  
another thing, there's been a murder in the next town."  
  
"I have a feeling Mr. Morris that you know more than you're letting on."  
  
Darryl looked back at Paige, "I have the same feeling about you too."  
  
Bane decided to let him in, if he tried to pull anything, the sisters could handle him..he hoped.   
  
Piper's power would come in real handy right about now.  
  
Darryl Morris was a little reluctant to spill his guts, especially to people he didn't know, and who   
  
could possibly be practising magic. He didn't know if he could trust them, not after what Alec had made   
  
him do. After some talking, Darryl felt he could trust the Halliwells, he didn't know why but he bought   
  
their story and they bought his - they had a strong connection, which must be very legit since neither   
  
party were very trusting, no matter who it was they came across.  
  
Paige orbed them to the place the policeman had described. Darryl was very shaken up by that experiance,   
  
Bane calmed him down whilst the sisters looked around. James stayed home in case more cops showed up   
  
unexpectedtly.  
  
Paige found ashes and signs of a struggle nearby. "You okay now Morris?"  
  
"Yeah, i think so." He was still struggling with the fact that magic did exist.  
  
"Do you know anything about the victim? Or the killers?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Darryl leant against an old fence. "I was looking for Cole, and i saw it happen. There was this guy,   
  
dressed in black with freaky looking eyes and he was walking around here. Suddenly two people showed up   
  
out of nowhere...which would seem normal but they came in a flash of blue and purple lights and misty stuff."  
  
The four listeners jumped at the sound of those words. "They were sneaking behind him and then yelled out   
  
to him. He turned around and some mocking words were exchanged. The victim was shocked and then the woman...  
  
who kinda looks like you three now that i think about it...used magic on him. The man with um, dirty blonde   
  
hair, was appearing and disappearing to confuse the man in black. Then he tried to fight back, the guy held   
  
him still while the woman, how do i explain this without sounding crazy..she sorta..."  
  
"Blew him up?" Prue guessed.  
  
"Yeah, with her hands, it was scary to watch. I was hoping that they wouldn't see me. I don't want to die   
  
like that."  
  
"It's okay, they wont hurt you." Phoebe put a hand on Morris' shoulder. *I hope*  
  
"Can you remember anything else? Like where the couple went or did next perhaps?" Asked Bane.  
  
"No, sorry. Well, only that they smiled at each other before exiting in the same manner that they  
  
came."  
  
(Halliwell home)   
  
Darryl was sitting on the bad in James' room. It was strange reliving what he saw.  
  
James met the others in the lounge. "So did Morris' story check out?"  
  
"Yeah, it did." Prue said, puzzled.  
  
"And the killers?"  
  
"You know them... Piper and Leo." Paige said and took a sip of water.  
  
"What? They what?" James' eyes were wide. "I thought they weren't evil!"  
  
"Yeah well so did we." Phoebe said.  
  
"They're not. At least i don't think they are." Paige put her glass down.  
  
"I agree."  
  
"How so Prue?" Phoebe wasn't on her sister's thought trail.  
  
"Something Morris said, about the guy they killed wearing only black in weather like this, and also  
  
that he had quote 'freaky looking eyes'. I think they killed a Demon."  
  
"That would make sense, that would make them good, wouldn't it?" Bane agreed.  
  
"We hope." James said.   
  
"At least we know that they're okay." Paige concluded.  
  
It was late night now, and they weren't going to get anywhere. They decided to just let it go and  
  
worry about their absent sister and her boyfriend only when they had to. Darryl wanted to keep on it,   
  
but gave in because of the magic that might be involved. Darryl headed off to speak to Cole before   
  
heading back to San Francisco. Morris the police officer was going to keep their secret, if he  
  
didn't, they would come after him and that's something that he did not want.  
  
(Leo's place)  
  
"See honey, wasn't that fun?"  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad."  
  
"Oh come on Leo, you're allowed to admit that you liked it. I saw it in your eyes you got a kick   
  
out of it."  
  
Leo sighed. "Alright, you're right, i did enjoy it." Leo was concerned that he was feeling like that,   
  
he was supposedly a pacifist, but then that thought was over-ruled by thinking that they did kill an   
  
evil being so it was okay. "But only because i did it with you."  
  
"Aww. Besides, he was going to steal our powers, so we stole his instead. I don't see the harm in that.   
  
One Demon without his powers, or life for that matter, is a very, very good thing honey. You did   
  
a great job." Piper kissed Leo as a thankyou.  
  
Leo couldn't argue with those words, or that kiss. In his mind, Leo knew what he was doing. 


	38. It's your sisters

Chapter 38 - "It's your sisters."  
  
Phoebe had decided to spend some time with Cole, and to find out a little bit more about Darryl Morris. Cole seemed to trust him, so Phoebe didn't argue with that. Prue had to go into San Francisco with her boss Mr. Jones to see what an important client of the museum had to offer. Bane followed so he could check out that city and to give Prue some more company. That left James and Paige at home, and Piper and Leo apparently missing in action.  
  
"Paige, why didn't you go somewhere, take a break?" James asked casually.  
  
"Well, i felt like staying home. Take a break..a break from what?"  
  
"Whatever it is that you're doing."  
  
"Hmm, i have no job so no break needed from that. You must mean worrying about Piper then."  
  
"We're all worrying about her, but honestly i think Leo will take care of her."  
  
Paige didn't know if she could believe that Piper was alright, but, she did believe in Leo, their non-existant Whitelighter.  
  
Hours and days passed and the bond between Paige and James grew. They had gotten more and more being around each other. James trusted Paige just like he did with her other sisters.  
  
"I miss my sisters a little but it's been really nice not having them around."  
  
"Missy Paige, are you saying you don't want to live with them in a nice way?"  
  
"No, not at all! You're reading too much into it."  
  
"No i'm not. I was joking, sort of. Living with your sisters for any amount of time can be pretty high maintenance, whether i'm related to them or not."  
  
"James, is that your way of saying you don't want to live with them in a nice way?" Paige raised her eyebrow and smiled. Using people's words against them was always a fun thing to do.  
  
James scoffed, "No." He smirked.  
  
There was a silence that followed.  
  
"Something a matter Paige?"  
  
"Uh no. Just wondering what to have for a snack is all."  
  
James looked unconvinced. "It's your sisters."  
  
"We already talkied about that. It's fine."  
  
"No not about that. About them being with their guys and you're not."  
  
Paige knew he was on the right track but wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it.  
  
"There's no one special in your life with you now, and it's slowly bringing you down." James looked at Paige to make her look up, "I'll back off if you want. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."  
  
"No, don't be. You're right on the money. Are you sure you're not clairvoyant or empathic?"  
  
"I'm sure. If i was magical i think we would have known it by now."  
  
Paige broke out a smile. "I'd love to stay and chat about your non- magicalness but i think i am going to do what you suggested and go out."  
  
"Okay. How long? An hour? A day? a week?"  
  
"Dunno. Maybe a few hours. Do you want to come down to the stream?"  
  
"Um, i think i'll pass. You need some time to yourself i can tell."  
  
"You are empathic." Paige slapped him on the arm and walked out the door.  
  
James thought about what he had sensed from Paige in the last few days. She did want to be with someone and so did he. Whenever he thought about the possibility of maybe dating Paige, his mind and body raced back to thoughts about Piper. How could he have her if she was with Leo and if she was not around anymore?  
  
(Leo's place) "Hey, how bout this one?" Piper had morphed into one of Prue's pretty co- workers.  
  
"Nah, i know which one i want."  
  
"Oh really?" Piper twirled her hair.  
  
Leo glamoured into an exact copy of Piper..in her underwear. "Yes really. Oh did i mention i love seeing you in these?"  
  
Piper just laughed at him. "Ha, okay that's kinda creepy. Maybe you should turn back now."  
  
"Only if you do it first."  
  
"Fine." Piper turned back to her normal self. "Now stop looking at me like that."  
  
Leo was back to normal now, "How was i looking at you?"  
  
"I don't know...like.." She was cut of by Leo finishing her sentance.  
  
"You want me." Leo grinned, "Hey, i got to put up with it. Only fair you should have a dose of your own delicious medicine."  
  
"Two can play at that game."  
  
"We're already playing it Piper."  
  
"True that. See, isn't that glamour power cool? I'm glad we took it from him, better a Charmed one has it."  
  
"And you are definately Charmed." Leo saw this as an opportunity to get Piper thinking about her sisters and their destiny.  
  
"Charmed, i'm sure."  
  
"Speaking of Charmed, your powers would be more useful if you got back..."  
  
Leo was interrupted by a Demon shimmering in.  
  
The Demon spoke, "To your wild side."  
  
"Excuse me? Who are you?" Piper questioned.  
  
"Jasper."  
  
"You're name is Jasper?!" Piper was about to laugh.  
  
"Piper, don't." Leo whispered.  
  
"Jasperoshna actually."  
  
"Well that's a mouthf..." Leo motioned Piper to be quiet. "That's a great name. What's it mean?"  
  
"Never mind that." Jasper said. "You've caused quite a stir around here. Magic is a gift, it should be used to it's full potential."  
  
Leo heard Jasper say those words, and Leo could hear himself in his head saying the same things to Piper, in a Charmed Power of Three way. He was going to cut in but didn't want to agitate the Demon.  
  
Jasperoshna threw a fireball at a dying wall. It put a hole in it.  
  
"Hey! That looks really bad now!" Piper was pissed off, but controlled herself. "Let the object of objection become but a dream as i cause the seen to be unseen." Piper was reciting a spell she saw in the Book of Shadows and had never used. The wall became new again and she was pleased with the result. *The Book of Shadows. Where it all began...*  
  
"Great! Use your magic for you. Magic gets you places if used in the correct way. I see you're on the right path. I've come here today to be allied with you and your boyfriend."  
  
"Fiance." Spoke Piper. Leo's eyes widened and looked straight at Piper. "Uh, I just wanted to see how it sounded." Leo was beaming on the inside and forgot all about the good Book of Shadows.  
  
"Whatever he is. I'll ally with him too, if you wish."  
  
"We don't even know you, what you are, what you want." Leo got defensive of Piper now.  
  
"I'm an alchemist. I wouldn't go and have a truce with people who might be good. You haven't exactly chosen a side yet but i'd rather have a deal with powerful ones such as yourselves who won't kill me because of what i am."  
  
Piper and Leo weren't sure what to expect but agreed.  
  
"On condition that you don't try anything on us and you won't make us do anything we don't want to do." Piper layed it out.  
  
"That's fine."  
  
"And that you don't attack or pull anything on her sisters either."  
  
"Of course Mr. Wyatt. You don't come after me and i wont come after you."  
  
Jasperoshna bowed his head and shimmered out.  
  
"Well that was un-expected." Commented Piper. "Don't look so worried honey. If he stabs us in the back, we'll kill him plain and simple."  
  
Leo said nothing and hugged Piper. He wanted to talk to Piper about her sisters, since he thought she'd be prepped by Jasper's talk. But Leo also was thinking about how now that Piper wasn't with her sisters, how much time he got to spend with her. Leo felt somewhat selfish, but he loved Piper more than anything. 


	39. Not yet

Chapter 39 - "Not yet."  
  
Phoebe had spent the last few nights with Cole, and now she was back. Bane and Prue had returned from San Francisco too.  
  
"How'd it go?" Paige asked when she hugged Prue. She was exited to see her sisters back, well two of them anyway.  
  
"Good. We scored some pieces that originally came from Tari, so now we can add it to our town history section in the museum." Prue was happy with her work.  
  
"Prue was great, i had a good time." Bane said with a smile and kissed Prue on the cheek.  
  
Paige looked over to Phoebe.  
  
"You know that case that Cole had kinda lost the other week? Well he won the appeal while i was staying with him, so we..he's got a second chance."  
  
"Well that's good."  
  
"So, how was James?" Phoebe asked with a wink.  
  
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Paige narrowed her eyes at Phoebe, and saw Prue and Bane sneak away.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing at all. Just curious."  
  
"Sure, sure."  
  
"Okay i was mucking around, but seriously, did you two get to know each other better - and i don't mean that in the way you think i'm thinking."  
  
"Don't confuse yourself." Paige teased.  
  
"Don't change the subject." Phoebe threw back.  
  
"Fine." Paige was about to answer Phoebe when James walked past the front window and around to the backyard. "It was great the first few days, and then he seemed to be a bit distant. Something or someone is on his mind i can tell."  
  
"Someone like you perhaps?"  
  
"Phoebe!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"No it's not me. James strikes me as the kinda guy who flatter the girl he likes senseless if he liked her. He's hardly spoken to me, so i am ruled out."  
  
"Do you want to be ruled out?"  
  
"I don't know." Phoebe looked at Paige and tried to work out which way Paige swayed, she couldn't tell. Paige shrugged. *I really don't know.*  
  
(Backyard) James was lying on his back on a deck chair dreaming, unaware that he was being watched.  
  
"What is he dreaming about?" asked the boss.  
  
"He's dreaming of a woman. A beautiful woman. A woman he knows very well." Answered the second demon.  
  
"Who is she?"  
  
"She is very powerful, and she is out of reach. He can't have her."  
  
"What kind of power? What is her name? Where is she? I need answers Taij."  
  
"I don't know her name. But she is the biggest power of good, she is.."  
  
"Charmed. It's Piper, he's dreaming about Piper." Jasperoshna smiled and was happy that this had happened.  
  
"He can't have her." Taij stared at his boss. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"Give him what he wants." Jasper rubbed his hands together and plotted in his mind.  
  
"But she's taken, and i highly doubt that she will revert to her old life. How will you...?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
James was having a very good dream but he awoke, with a bad feeling. "Who's there?" James looked around, he knew he was being watched.  
  
"He knows we're here, how does he know? Does he have powers you didn't tell me about?"  
  
"No he doesn't Taij, he's just confused. Human emotion and hormones can be hard to deal with, lucky us Demons don't have to put up with that, well the emotion part anyway."  
  
"We should go, he'll spot us and then the sisters will know and then the Whitelighter will tell his witch and..."  
  
"Shhh, they won't find out anything. Just be quiet."  
  
James stood up for a better view.  
  
"Go find that cat you found quite a while ago and bring her here." Jasper ordered.  
  
"But why give the cat back now?"  
  
"Because i'm sick of having to look after a good cat, now go!"  
  
Taij went off and returned with the cat immediately.  
  
"Good." Jasper looked at the cat. "Glad to be rid of you."  
  
Taij released the hissing cat and it ran towards an approaching James.  
  
"Kit? Kit! Sweetie are you spying on me?" James picked up the Halliwell cat and went to reunite her with her rightful owners.  
  
"What was the point of that?" Taij now stood up behind the shed.  
  
"To distract him. He'll go inside. The owners will be over the moon about seeing their long lost pet and he'll forget he ever thought he sensed something because he will be happy. That's human emotion for you."  
  
"Are you going to do whatever it was to the man now?"  
  
"Not yet." Jasper and his dream reading demon shimmered out.  
  
(James' room) He walked inside with Kit at his heels, but he found Paige and Phoebe in his room. "What are you guys doing in here?"  
  
"Um.."  
  
Phoebe jumped in. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. Paige said you were a bit, i don't know, distant lately."  
  
"You thought i was distant Paige?" *I can't tell her about my dreams* "Yeah i guess i was. It's nothing really. Guess i'm in a bit of a rut."  
  
"Can i do anything?" Asked Phoebe.  
  
"No not really. I'm okay now though." *I think* "I can help you though. Guess who i found outside, you'll never believe it." James stepped outside his room, picked up Kit and walked back in.  
  
"Oh my gosh! You're right! I don't believe this. Kit! Where have you been all this time baby? Aww come here." Phoebe ran over and hugged the cat.  
  
"Kit! Wow James, i never thought we'd see her again. How are you gorgeous?"  
  
Paige and Phoebe were lavishing attention on their long lost feline friend. Prue and Bane heard all the commotion from the other room and came to find out what it was for.  
  
Bane's hair was messed up and his shirt buttons were done up in the wrong holes.  
  
"Hey, who's this pretty cat?" Bane hadn't met Kit before.  
  
"It's Kit! Kit our cat who's been missing for quite some time. Who found her?"  
  
"I did. Just outside. I thought i had forgotten someone when i came back here."  
  
"Glad you have your cat back, it seems she hasn't forgotten any of you." Bane got aquainted with the new/old family member.  
  
(Taij's lair underground) "You were right, James didn't even mention anything about being watched."  
  
"Which is a very good thing because i don't want them to suspect there's demonic intervention. They will later but that won't matter."  
  
"I wish you would tell me what you're going to do."  
  
"I will, in time. Now if you'll excuse me, i have some research to do." 


	40. And what is that?

[Sorry guys it's been a while since I've updated. I do thank you for the reviews, I appreciate it :p I have at least another week and a half of school holidays so I got some time to add another chapter or three to keep y'all interested..and me too, stop the boredom and keep my younger brother from annoying me hehe. Stay tuned for a make-or-break Po3/lover situation in the next few - muahaha. If it's a bit slow to start, sorry, haven't written in any fics for a while so I'm a bit rusty...I should stop ranting and start typing!]  
  
Chapter 40 - "And what is that?"  
  
"Hey James. James."  
  
James was fast asleep in his bed and he heard whispering.  
  
"James Ashton. I know your secret. I know what you want."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"Wake up sleepy head!" A pillow had landed square in his face and he jumped out of his sheets.  
  
"Ahh! What the..Paige?"  
  
"Hey there. Sorry to wake you, but I heard you mumbling. Where you having a nightmare?"  
  
"Uh, no. Just a strange dream." James shook his head to wake himself up and to fix his blurry vision. There standing in the doorway was Paige, and she looked particularly beautiful today. Wow  
  
Paige wasn't sure what to say next, since he didn't elaborate on what happened in his dream. "Okay, well I'll let you get back to sleep then I guess."  
  
"Oh no, don't worry about that. I'm up now so I may as well get dressed."  
  
"Alright. I'm actually going out, there's some fresh muffins on the table if you want that for breakfast. Prue made them and they're pretty good." Paige smiled and then left.  
  
James didn't get a chance to ask if he could come out with her today, instead of being left at home. Oh well, maybe next time  
  
Mr Ashton was now dressed in some knee length denim shorts and had a blue surfy top that complimented his eyes. He waltzed into the kitchen and grabbed one of the muffins. "Hey these are pretty good Prue." He waited for an answer, and then realised that she wasn't at home. She was at work helping Mr Jones in a meeting. He didn't hear Prue's voice, and he didn't hear anyone else's either. "Anybody home?" No answer. "Guess not."  
  
A loud crash could be heard outside and James rushed out the back to see what it was. It came from inside the shed, and he approached with caution because the shed was locked. He went back inside the house and got the key. Slowly he unlocked the door and prepared for a surprise. Am I hearing things? There was no one inside the shed, and no signs of anything being moved or ruined for that matter. He scanned around to see if he could pick up anything sinister.  
  
His eyes came across a table, a table with herbs, a pestle and mortar. His mind flashed back to the day when he had made a potion and had brought himself to Piper. Some of the ingredients lying there looked strangely familiar to him and his hands were shaking. He was so tempted to try creating the potion again. He took a step forward and then took a step back. "Ahh tempting as this might be, I'm not going to dabble with magic again unless I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Meowww."  
  
"Kit! Are you following me?"  
  
Kit's eyes seemed to be looking straight back into his and he strangely felt like he was telling him off.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm not going to even touch that alter, so you don't have to worry boy." James picked Kit up and walked back inside the house after locking the shed.  
  
The back door shut and Kit hissed, James let him go. "Ookay you don't want to be held. Snob."  
  
(Out back) "The feline knows were here."  
  
"Yes, but the human doesn't. I'm surprised he didn't notice us like he did last time."  
  
"Maybe he has other things on his mind."  
  
"He does. Even so, he didn't take the bait. He didn't go and try out the potion mixing like I thought he would."  
  
"Are you going to kill him then?"  
  
"No, I don't need to Taij. If he is distracted, the Halliwells wont suspect anything is going on in the magic world, just their human one. Besides, unlike you, I don't need to kill anything for the sake of killing. Patience is something you'll have to learn, along with discretion."  
  
(Cole's apartment) Phoebe was alone in her boyfriend's place. He had gone away for the day to make sure his appeal win didn't give his client false hope.  
  
She admired how he always tried to win his case. The fault she could find in him was the fact that he wasn't always around. However, the cases he tried were only cases in this town and the one closest to Tari - and even when putting the two together they didn't amount to a big population. Cole wasn't away that much, Phoebe could handle it just like he had handled Phoebe's Charmed life for her.  
  
Sometimes she noticed that Cole had moments where he felt like he didn't belong and was a distraction when it came to magic. But she always reassured him. There were times when Phoebe did think of Piper and Leo's situation and how they just wanted to get away from it all.  
  
After a whirlwind of thoughts of the people in her life, Phoebe decided to hop back into bed and have a lazy day. Immediately she fell into a dream and whispers were playing with her conscience. "Phoebe. Phoebe Halliwell. Cole...Turner." The wisps of smoke and the whisperings went away. Her dream now showed Cole standing before her. He was smiling and she felt so good to be in his presence. The two walked toward each other, but before their hands could touch, a voice interrupted. A voice she hadn't heard in a while, Piper's. She was accusing Cole of taking things away from her, taking Leo and her freedom. Cole pleaded back that Leo was meant to become magical and he was with Piper now so it didn't matter. Piper froze Cole and then unfroze his head. She was furious and went on about having to deal with Elders now when she didn't have to before when Leo was a mortal. Now the dream was moving in slow motion, and Phoebe could see Piper's hands moving in such a way - she knew what was going to happen next.  
  
A loud sound awoke Phoebe and she sat upright in her bed, gasping for air and trying to process what she had just seen. Please let that be a nightmare and not a premonition, please! A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. She was very shaken. She didn't think Piper could be capable of taking Cole's life. The dream seemed too real to her. She had to shake this awful feeling off. 


	41. Speak of the devils

Chapter 41 - "Speak of the devils."  
  
"Do Phoebe and James seem to be acting strange lately?"  
  
"Define strange." It was Saturday, and Prue planned on staying home with Bane.  
  
"I don't know how. They just seem a little off, and trying to avoid others, maybe even themselves."  
  
"Well I haven't seen too much of Phoebe, but James now that you mention it is different. Maybe we should talk to th.."  
  
Phoebe walked through the front door, she looked tired. James walked out the back door looking blank.  
  
"Them. Speak of the devils."  
  
"Did I do something?" Phoebe spun around in a circle. "Is there two of me?"  
  
"Huh? Phoebe, Prue meant you and James. There's not two of you, why would you think that, you okay?"  
  
Phoebe rolled her eyes and pulled a chair up to the table and took a deep breath. "You know how I have premonitions."  
  
"Wait you do? I've never noticed." Prue smirked, she tried to snap her sister out of whatever state she was in.  
  
"Ha ha. Well, you know how I've had one in my sleep before...I think I've had another one. A few days ago." She leant forward and placed her elbows on the table, her left hand holding the right one. "I've been trying to dismiss it as a bad dream or nightmare but the feeling just wont go away, it has to be a premonition."  
  
"So why didn't you come to us before if you were certain it was a psychic flash Pheebs?"  
  
"Maybe because I don't want it to be true. It's about Piper, and Cole."  
  
"Go on." Bane didn't know what it was but by the tone of Phoebe's voice it seemed bad.  
  
"In my 'dream' Piper kills Cole, and she blames him for Leo dying."  
  
"But Piper would never kill a human, let alone one that her sister is involved with."  
  
"I'm not so sure now. We haven't heard from her, or Leo who we thought had things under control, and you remember before when Piper did yell at Cole when we vanquished Alec."  
  
Prue tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for Phoebe's dream. "..Maybe the dream was just an interpretation of past feelings. Piper did yell at him, she did accuse him. This all could be just emotions that you haven't dealt with since Piper left."  
  
"You don't know how badly I want to believe that Prue."  
  
Paige emerged from her room. "What's going on? Were you saying Piper bailed on us?" Paige had only heard some words of the converstaion, so she was only speculating.  
  
"She didn't say that." Bane answered for Phoebe. "But we're hoping that it isn't possible."  
  
"Paige!" James' voice floated in from outside. "I need to talk to you."  
  
He sounded pissed off. Paige shrugged her arms at the three at the table and made her way outside to see what was going on.  
  
"James. What is it?"  
  
"You. You've been playing games with me and I don't like it."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't play dumb. I know you've been messing with my head."  
  
"Messing with yo...I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Oh really? Well then how come every time I've been having this recurring dream and you are always standing over me when I wake up?"  
  
"I've been checking on you James."  
  
"Yes you sure have, checking on me to see if I'll go for your sister or you!"  
  
"James I have no idea what you're saying here. I've been checking on you to see if you're okay - you keep waking up confused and I'm worried!"  
  
"Worried that I'll choose her instead of you."  
  
Prue, Bane and Phoebe head the yelling and listened through the window.  
  
"Ogghh will you please explain what you are going on about, please?"  
  
"Fine. All week I've been having these dreams about Piper...and myself. In these dreams I'm insanely sexually attracted to her. And then you appear, to wake me up before anything really happens in the dream. Are you really saying that you had nothing to do with all this and it's not a test to see if I'll admit to you how I feel?"  
  
Paige was gobsmacked. She couldn't believe what James had been dreaming about. And even more shocked that he thought she had something to do about it. You can't be wanting her! She's taken, I'm not! Her ears pricked up when he mentioned that he felt something, but was it for Piper or her?  
  
"Paige?"  
  
"Uh, I'm just processing this."  
  
"So you really had nothing to do with this then?"  
  
"No I didn't. ..You really want Piper?"  
  
James didn't know how to react to that question but made himself answer and get it over with. "Only in my dreams. There's someone else I want in reality."  
  
At first, the people inside the house listening thought the dreams were part of something sinister like Phoebe's dream - but now they dismissed it as a blooming love tiff. Bane didn't feel right listening any more, and he left from the window side. Prue wanted to listen but ended up following Bane. Phoebe wanted to focus on Paige and James, instead of focusing on her gut feelings and getting some goss. Reluctantly, she went after the other two. The three back in the sun room found James' dreams sort of disturbing and really not representing what he felt - but then again, love can send your thoughts into chaos.  
  
(Town) Cole had finished his case, and won - only just. The judge had spent a long time debating out loud what the ruling should be. Even so, Cole got the desired outcome and was ready to go home and see Phoebe. He was stopped in his tracks. The woman standing before him he hadn't seen for quite a while, and honestly he was scared of what she could do to him to get revenge for past events with her soulmate.  
  
"Hello Cole." 


	42. I don't know

Chapter 42 - "I don't know."  
  
"Cole?"  
  
Cole couldn't move, and he wasn't even frozen.  
  
"Cole!" Piper didn't know why he wasn't responding, so she blew up a rail on the steps of the court house. "Fine." Piper misted out, and Cole snapped out of it.  
  
"Piper?" Something had stopped him from speaking before and now he was confused.  
  
"Hey Mr Turner, are you okay?" The opposition placed his hand on Cole's shoulder. "You should be, you won..." His attention now turned to the mangled rail. "Woah, what the hell happened there?"  
  
"I don't know." Cole looked kinda dazed and just walked away.  
  
"Yeah, goodbye to you too." The man shook his head and left, after taking another glance at the rail.  
  
(Leo's place) "What's wrong Piper?"  
  
"Cole. He ran into me and he wouldn't talk to me."  
  
"Well that's strange. You'd think he's want to say something, anything. You think he'll tell Phoebe he ran into you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
(Halliwell home) Paige and James were still outside talking things over. The moon and stars had just come out.  
  
"Oh look at the stars." Paige stood up and looked upwards while twirling around in a circle and then sat back down.  
  
That amused James. "Yeah, they're beaut. Gosh, we've been talking for ages." He gave Paige a one cornered smile.  
  
"We haven't really gotten anywhere." Paige looked sincerely into his eyes. I don't mind though  
  
"Doesn't matter, we've got all night."  
  
(Inside) The conversation inside between the remaining three had turned away from the premo-dream and towards the two missing in action. The phone started ringing and Phoebe jumped up to get it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Phoebe, it's me. How come you weren't at my apartment?"  
  
Prue whispered loudly to her sister, "Who is it?"  
  
Phoebe answered Prue's question by saying his name and carrying on with her answer. "Cole, sorry I wasn't there or left a note for you. I just had to talk to Prue and Bane about something."  
  
"Oh yeah, like what?"  
  
"Umm, just supernatural stuff. You know how it is." Phoebe was trying really hard not to tell him about what happened in her vision.  
  
"Actually I don't. ..Sorry I don't want to sound rude. I'm just.."  
  
"Just?"  
  
"Needing to talk to you, can I come over?"  
  
"Of course you can." Oh no, dammit  
  
"Thanks. I'll be right over." Cole hung up the phone.  
  
Phoebe put the receiver down and turned back towards the couple on the couch. "I never thought I would say this but, I hope Piper doesn't show up tonight."  
  
"Don't you want her back?" Bane spoke at the same time that Prue said, "What makes you say that?"  
  
"Um, well Cole is coming over. He needs to talk about something. Yes I do want Piper back, I just don't..want Cole to have to 'leave'."  
  
"Ohh Phoebe, it'll be okay." Prue put her hand on her sister's shoulder. But in a way, what she said was also to convince herself.  
  
(Time lapse) "Pipers not here is she?" A gasping Cole asked.  
  
"No, she's not. Was she chasing you?" Bane furrowed his brow and looked at the man standing opposite him.  
  
"No. I just, I ran over here."  
  
"You ran. Hitting the gym next are you?" Prue thought Cole wasn't that desperate to get to their place quickly.  
  
Cole shook his head and Phoebe sat him down. "I think I saw Piper today. Yeah I did see her, I ran into her."  
  
"Piper." Prue was happy to hear that her sister was still around in these parts of the country and not stalking round in the Underworld. "And what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I guess I kind of froze."  
  
"She froze you?" Phoebe grabbed his hand and questioned him with her gaze.  
  
"Well no. She said my name..and..she blew up the railing on the steps of the building I had come out of."  
  
Hearing that, Phoebe pulled her hand away from his and put both her hands on top of her head, she had to take a deep breath.  
  
"Phoebe, what's the matter?"  
  
"I don't know." She took another breath and then had to face the facts she had. "Actually I sort of do know. The real reason I had to go see bane and Prue was because I had to figure out this vision type thing I had in my dream. A vision of you."  
  
"You had a premonition about me?"  
  
"I can't tell if it was a dream or a premonition. And that's what scares me because I need to know. I can't lose you."  
  
Cole raised his hands, palms up, and then slapped them down on his knees. "How will that end up in you losing me?"  
  
"Because..."  
  
Prue knew Phoebe couldn't say it so she filled in the gap for her, "Because you get killed in the dream - by Piper."  
  
"Oh, is that all." He didn't want to be scared, so he quipped instead.  
  
Paige had been listening in on the recent comments in the conversation, since James had gone to the bathroom. "Did this all happen today?"  
  
The four already in the room jumped.  
  
"Yes." Bane confirmed.  
  
"You don't think all of us coming together now means that Piper will be here tonight does it? Because I'm not really intent on having any of us killed by our own sister."  
  
"Pipers no killer." James was back and took his best friend's side automatically.  
  
"Of course you would say that, you've been..."  
  
Phoebe whispered to her boyfriend, "Cole, don't."  
  
Paige looked down to the floor when being reminded of what she had been yelled at earlier that night.  
  
(Outside) "How good is this? I didn't even need to do anything to Turner to get him to take a side."  
  
"Divide and conquer sir?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Taij was smiling at his boss as he was thinking all of this through. "So how will the these two guys getting irritated by each other's happenings get Piper to sway?"  
  
"You do the math."  
  
Taij nodded, but didn't let up that he still wasn't sure. Even with his psionic powers, he couldn't tap into what Jasper was thinking. 


End file.
